Interpolation of Computerized Tomography Slices using 3D Digital Inpainting

The visualization of image structures in 3D obtained from computerized tomography examinations aids the medical professional in the analysis of images and consequently, provides a more accurate diagnoses. As these images (slices) are spaced apart it becomes necessary to fill in the empty spaces to show the structure in 3D. The use of the virtual slice between the real slices following the restoration is a new approach to realizing slice interpolation aimed at 3D visualization. The goal of this article is to develop a method which produces a virtual slice with few empty regions and, through the use of an inpainting process using transportation and diffusion of information with a Partial Differential Equation, complete the virtual slices. The experimental results, presented by images 2D and 3D show the efficiency of the proposed method.