Shading 3D-Images from CT Using Gray-Level Gradients

For the 3D-reconstruction of organ surfaces from tomograms, a shading method based on the partial volume effect is presented. In contrast to methods based on the depth and/or the angle of the voxel surface, here the gray-level gradient along the surface is used for shading. It is shown, that at least for bone and soft tissue surfaces, the results are superior to conventional shading. This is due to the high dynamic range of the gray levels within a small spatial neighborhood.