Interactive alignment and subtraction of two tomographic 3D imaging studies

Three-dimensional tomographic data sets are routinely produced in CT and MRI studies. Particularly good quality sagittal and coronal views can be obtained when the z-slice thickness is similar to the x and y pixel size within the original transverse views. When image data has been acquired on the same subject at two separate occasions, it may be useful or necessary to rotate and translate the data from the second study so that it is spacially aligned with the first study. We have developed interactive graphic software to interpolate image files in three orthogonal planes which can be arbitrarily oriented and to align the data from two studies using subtraction views as an indicator of alignment and differential value. The design elements for this software are described in this paper. Two thin slice x-ray CT studies from the same subject are used to illustrate the software.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.