Image filtering techniques and VLSI architectures for efficient data extraction in shell rendering

This paper presents an approach to volume rendering based on real-time and interactive data reduction prior to volume visualization. The underlying hardware design of a PCI based search engine is introduced including the architecture of a full custom VLSI chip that based on combinations of general range queries performs a real-time classification/opacity assignment of the multi-spectral voxel data. Various image preprocessing techniques are presented. These techniques are used to enhance the potential of the subsequent real-time data extraction, In particular, we describe how the real-time data extraction facility can be utilized to develop interactive inspection procedures for 3D imagery. The numerical experiments include 3D ultrasonics and 3D MRI studies.