VISUALISATION SOFTWARE
There is a wealth of volume visualisation and imaging software currently
available, ranging from the basic to the extremely sophisticated. As a potential
buyer you really have your work cut out for you. The following product guide
has been assembled to provide a jumping off point for anyone considering
purchasing a visualisation package.
3DVIEWNIX
3DVIEWNIX is a transportable software system developed by the Medical Image
Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
It has state-of-the-art capabilities for visualising, manipulating, and
analysing multidimensional, multimodality image information. 3DVIEWNIX can
handle rigid, non-rigid, static, and dynamic objects and object assemblies.
It also handles object information from multiple modalities and longitudinal
acquisitions. Numerous visualisation, manipulation, and analysis methods
are incorporated. Designed to run on Unix machines under X-windows, it uses
a data protocol that is a multidimensional generalisation of the ACR-NEMA
standards. Platform Support: SGI, Sun, IBM RS6000s, HP700s, DEC,
Stardent and PCs. Price: $1000. Contact: Medical
Image Processing Group, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology,
418 Service Drive - 4th Floor Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021.
Tel: +1-215-662-6780; Fax: +1-215-898-9145; E-mail: Vhelp@mipg.mipg.upenn.edu
Alice
Alice 3D oriented analysis software for scientific and medical imaging.
Alice brings you advanced ROI and VOI tools for region and volume analyses,
plug in file import/export extensions to support a variety of scanner file
formats, and a modular architecture providing a flexible upgrade path. Features
include: Intuitive user interface simplifies regional analyses, spatial
measurements, calibration, and annotation of images; multiple view modes,
including Single Image, Multi Image, Graph, and Cine; 16 bit window/level
provides the highest fidelity when viewing images with large dynamic range;
supports non-integer image values and units so that quantitative studies
can have meaningful values such as 0.25 µC/ml rather than uncalibrated
integer values; arithmetic operations perform 3D image addition, subtraction,
and other numeric operations with integer or real valued images without
overflow or clipping problems; statistical analyses compute image, region,
and volume statistics, graphing the results or displaying the measurements
in a spreadsheet compatible table ('Hot' analyses update the reported values
automatically when an image or ROI changes); modular architecture allows
users to expand the product capabilities by adding standard plug in extensions
or contract with HIPG to create custom extensions for tailored solution;
annotation tools highlight areas of interest with arrows and text aiding
communication. Platform Support: Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Macintosh,
and Power Macintosh. Alice image and overlay files are compatible across
all supported platforms. Price: $1495.00 - single license, $4495.00
- five user license. Academic discounts available. Contact: Hayden
Image Processing Group, PO Box 654, Boulder, CO 80306-0654. Phone: +1-303-449-3433;
Fax: +1-303-449-3772; E-mail: sales@perceptive.com
ANALYZE
Analyze provides an environment for the interactive visualisation and manipulation
of 2-D, 3-D and 4-D biomedical images. ANALYZE features an integrated set
of tools for fully interactive display, manipulation and measurement of
multi-dimensional image data. Three dimensional rendering tools are integrated
with two dimensional orthogonal displays to allow real time reconstruction
of conventional 2D. ANALYZE provides all the tools, including image registration,
to truly support multi-modal image analysis. It can be used with any 3-D
imaging modality, including X-ray computed tomography, radionuclide emission
tomography, ultrasound tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and both
light and electron microscopy. Filtration program allow data preconditioning
from statistical spatial filtering to minimise noise, and advanced 3D frequency
domain deconvolution of the point spread function of a confocal microscopy
system. Platform Support: Sparc (Sun- Solaris 1+2), SGI, HP 9000/700,
DEC 5000 and Alpha, IBM RS6000, Apple Mac Quadra. Price: $16000 for
clinical and academic users. Contact: Mayo
Medical Ventures, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Phone: +1-507-284-8452;
Fax: +1-507-284-5410.
Application Visualisation System (AVS)
AVS is a platform-independent, visual computing software and application
development tool. The product's comprehensive suite of data visualisation
and analysis capabilities incorporate both traditional visualisation tools
such as 2D plots and graphs and image processing as well as advanced tools
such as 3D interactive rendering and volume visualisation. AVS's Interactive
3D geometric display features a choice of render modes, including wireframe
and surface; surface transparency and reflectance; multiple light sources;
2D/3D texture mapping; and multiple viewports. The Image Viewer Mode supports
real-time image pan and zoom; region of interest operations; flip book animation;
8 bit, 16 bit, and 24 bit support; and data resizing operations. The Graph
Viewer options include a choice of line, bar, scatter and area plots; contour
plots; variable line type and plot colour; variable axis range and scale;
titles, axes labels and legends. More advanced visualisation techniques
include: streamlines and particle advection; Image processing; volume rendering;
isosurfaces and slice planes; and finite element data visualisation. For
solutions to large-scale problems, AVS is designed to run in a distributed
environment. AVS modules can execute on supercomputers and massively parallel
machines. Platform Support: All major UNIX workstations, including
Data General, DEC, Evans & Sutherland, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Kubota
Pacific, Set Technologies, Silicon Graphics, and Sun Microsystems. Supercomputers
supported include Convex, Cray Research, Intel, Meiko, and Thinking Machines.
AVS is also X-Windows compliant. Contact: Advanced
Visual Systems Inc., 300 Fifth Ave., Waltham, MA 02154. Tel: +1-617-890-4300;
Fax: +1-617-890-8287; E-mail: info@avs.com
AVW
AVW is a comprehensive set of imaging functions which facilitates full exploration
and analysis of multidimensional, multimodality biomedical image data sets.
The software also facilitates the development and implementation of advanced
imaging algorithms and techniques and easy integration of these into specific
applications solutions by imaging software developers. The AVW imaging functions
are packaged into a library that provides developers with the power of its
predecessor, the ANALYZE system, at a callable C language function level.
It is extensible, allowing developers to write their own specialised code
while still making full use of the imaging capabilities of the package.
The functions are completely user-interface independent, allowing for implementation
at the applications level in different interface and operating environments.
Each library function has a well defined calling sequence utilising standardised
AVW parameters and data structures. While only one linkable library is provided,
the functionality in AVW can be separated into seven distinct functional
groups: Resource, ImageIO, Transform, Process, Segment, Analysis and Visualise.
Contact: Mayo Medical
Ventures, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Phone: +1-507-284-8452;
Fax: +1-507-284-5410
CT-Modeller
3.5
The CT-Modeller system is a software system for interfacing from a medical
scanner (mostly a CAT or CT scanner) to Rapid Prototyping or to CAD systems.
Through its modular structure, the system can be tuned for every situation.
The MIMICS software is the medical front end in which the segmentation of
the structures can be done with three dimensional selection and editing
tools. The program also generates high resolution 3D renderings in different
colours starting from the slice information. After this visualisation, a
file can be made to interface with CTM. The CTM software interpolates the
medical slice data in very tiny layers, and interfaces directly with most
Rapid Prototyping Systems. Using this direct interface and advanced interpolation
algorithms, CTM can produce accurate models in a very short time (scanner
to SLA machine in 1 hour). Platform Support: Silicon Graphics and
RS6000 workstations, 486 PC (16 Mb RAM). Contact: Materialise
USA, 6111 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA. Tel: +1-313-662- 5057;
Fax: +1-313-662-7891; E-Mail: soft@materialise.com
ELAS 9.0
ELAS is a general software package for the processing of digital imagery.
A defining characteristic is its flexibility: Elas can process data elements
exceeding 8-bits in length, including floating point (noninteger) elements
and 16- or 32-bit integers. Hence it is able to analyse and process "non-standard"
nonimage data. Platform Support: DEC VAX series, Concurrent computers,
Sun, Masscomp and Silicon Graphics. Price: $2000-$4000. Contact:
COSMIC Inc., 382 East Broad Street,
Athens, GA 30602, USA. Tel: +1-706-542-3265; Fax: +1-706-542-4807; E-mail:
service@cosmic.uga.edu
IAP (Imaging Application Platform)
IAP is a programmable, object-oriented software development tool and data
visualisation environment for medical imaging applications. Image review
and analysis applications provide radiologists, technologists and referring
physicians with enhanced perspectives on medical images. Based on an open
architecture structure, ISG's family of compatible products can be integrated
into Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS). High-end 3D imaging
and post-processing applications for CT and MR include powerful tools like
MRA, CTA, and image fusion, and specialised application packages for cardiac
or dental applications. Features include: volume rendering; binary surface
rendering; image manipulation; multiplanar reformatting; and cine sequencing.
Image-Guided Surgical Navigation systems enable surgeons to simulate and
plan a surgery prior to a procedure, and confirm or modify their approach
during a surgery. Price: $5000. Contact: ISG
Technologies, 6509 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON L4V 1S7, Canada. Tel:
+1-905-672-2100; FAX: +1-905-672-2307; E-mail: iap-info@isgtec.com
IDL (Interactive Data Language)
IDL is a scientific computing environment that combines mathematics,
advanced data visualisation, scientific graphics, and a graphical user interface
toolkit to analyse and visualise scientific data. Designed for use by scientists
and scientific application developers, IDL's array-oriented, fourth-generation
programming language allows users to prototype and develop complete applications.
Platform Support: Convex, DEC Alpha/VMS, DEC Alpha/OSF, DEC RISC
Ultrix, DEC/VMS, Hewlett Packard Series 9000, IBM RS/6000, Silicon Graphics,
Sun, Macintosh, Windows 3.1; Windows/NT. Price: Licenses start at
$1500. Contact: Research
Systems, Inc., 2995 Wilderness Place, Boulder, Colorado 80301. Tel:
+1-303-786-9900; Fax: +1-303-786-9909; E-mail: info@rsinc.com
ImageVolumes
ImageVolumes Image Processing and Three-Dimensional Volumetric Reconstruction
System is a complete software environment for three-dimensional reconstruction
of objects from two-dimensional graphics data or digitised grey scale images.
An image processor, with filtering and region-of-interest operations, and
a 3-D graphics editor are included. Surface polygon and voxel models can
be displayed using materials, transparency and lighting capabilities of
the 4-D workstations. Special tools are provided for: reducing numbers of
polygons in surface models; calculation of distance fields and intersections
of 3-D models; analysis of 3-D branching structures; and, characterisation
of the numbers, sizes, shapes and orientations of 3-D objects. Platform
Support: Silicon Graphics IRIS. Price: $4,500. Contact:
Minnesota
Datametrics Corporation, 1000 Ingerson Road, Shoreview, MN 55126-8146,
USA. Tel: +1-612-482-7938; Fax: +1-612-490-9717; E-mail: scivis@mndata.com
KBVision System 3.1
The KBVision System is a set of knowledge-based tools for solving problems
in image understanding. It is used for research, applications prototyping,
and end-user applications such as measuring, counting, and visualisation.
The system provides a visual programming environment, data visualisation
tools, a large task library, and task programming libraries. The system
is sold in modules, which allows users to purchase only the tools they need.
The KBVision System is distributed with a visual programming environment,
data analysis interfaces for 2D and 3D data sets, a symbolic database management
system, a rule-based Constraint System, and an extensive state-of-the-art
library of image processing and image understanding routines. Programmers
can incorporate new algorithms into the system: using the utilities of the
KBVision System, user-defined algorithms become accessible from the execution
interface the same way as KBV-supplied algorithms. Platform Support:
SUN Workstation running SunOS 4.1.3 or later, or Solaris 2.3 or later; Silicon
Graphics Workstation running IRIX 5.2 or later; DEC Alpha Workstation running
OSF1; DEC 5000 running ULTRIX 4.4 or later. Contact: Amerinex
Applied Imaging, Inc., 409 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002, USA. Tel:+1-413-256-8941;
Fax: +1-413-253-4203.
Med-Link
Med-Link is a data conversion system that uses CT or MR imaging data processed
by Image Volumes medical imaging software to create 3-D models in I-DEAS
Master Series mechanical design software. Medical professionals can now
use CAD/CAM engineering tools on 3-D models created from each of their patient's
actual data. Benefits include more thorough and accurate planning of tumor
removals, complex reconstructions, multiple osteotomies, etc., and computer-archived
visual documentation of each patient's surgery plan. Manufacturers can use
the system to make custom artificial joints, limbs and prostheses. DCR provides
the software components and systems, including training and support. Contact:
Dynamic Computer Resources, Inc., 403
East Arrow Highway, Suite 301, San Dimas, CA 91773, USA. Tel: +1-909-305-1055;
Fax: 909-305-0455.
MetaMorph
Integrated microscope image capture, enhancement, reconstruction, and visualisation
system. Platform Support: PC. Contact: Universal
Imaging Corporation, 502 Brandywine Parkway, West Chester, PA 19380,
USA.
NIH Image
NIH Image is a public domain image processing and analysis program for the
Macintosh. It can acquire, display, edit, enhance, analyse, print and animate
images. NIH Image supports TIFF, PICT, PICS and MacPaint file formats and
offers many standard image processing functions, including contrast enhancement,
density profiling, smoothing, sharpening, edge detection, median filtering,
and spatial convolution with user defined kernels up to 63x63. Image can
be used to measure area, average grey value, centre and angle of orientation
of user defined regions of interest. It also performs automated particle
analysis and can be used to measure path lengths and angles. Spatial calibration
is supported to provide real world area and length measurements. Density
calibration can be done against radiation or optical density standards using
user specified units. The user can select from any of eight different curve
fitting methods for generating calibration curves. Image supports Data Translation
and Scion frame grabber cards for capturing images or movie sequences using
a TV camera. Acquired grey scale images can be shading corrected and frame
averaged.
Osiris 2.0
Portable and expandable software package for interactive manipulation of
digital medical images. Platform Support: Macintosh, PC and Unix-based
workstations. Contact: Digital
Imaging Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, 24 Micheli du Crest, 1211
Geneva 14, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22 372 61 98; E-mail : osiris@diogenes.hcuge.ch
Picture Center
Picture Center is an advanced imaging and visualisation environment for
scalar image data in two- or three-dimensions. Object-oriented technology
allows familiar two-dimensional image processing operations to be applied
to both two- and three-dimensional data in multiple colour and radix spaces.
Features include: multiple data formats (integer 8/16/32, 24-bit colour,
float 32/64) in two- or three-dimensions; sequencer work area for creating
visual programming scripts; particle analyser, particle viewer, and advanced
morphology; built-in photo retouching tools (draw, paint, airbrush, alpha-blend,
bitmap edit); multiple colour space support (YIQ, HSV, RGB, CIE). Platform
Support: Picture Center runs on all major UNIX platforms, including
Cray Research supercomputers (CRAY C90, CRAY T90, and the CRAY Y-MP). Contact:
Krig Research,
PO Box 7327, Beaverton, OR 97007, USA. Tel: +1-503-649-2621; Fax: +1-503-591-9049;
E-mail: scottk@ee.pdx.edu
PV-Wave 6.0
PV-Wave is an application development, image processing and manipulation
program which provides integrated graphics, image, statistics, and signal
processing and mathematical capabilities. Users interactively access, analyse,
manipulate, and visualise multi-dimensional data - a fast, array-oriented
language and comprehensive set of procedures provides a productive environment
for analysing collected or computed data such as test, experimental, or
simulation data, or data from remote sensing devices. Commonly used for
creating 3D renderings of voxel based data, stacks of MRI images can be
displayed with PV-WAVE, using the Z-Buffer, Ray tracer, or iso-surface renderer.
Platform Support: Windows, Windows NT, UNIX (SGI, Sun, HP, IBM, DEC).
Price: Windows/Windows NT: $2095; UNIX: $4495. Contact: Visual
Numerics, Inc., 6230 Lookout Rd., Boulder,CO 80301, USA. Tel: +1-303-530-9000;
Fax: +1-303-530 9329; E-mail: info@boulder.vni.com
RadWorks 2.0
RadWorks 2.0 is a medical imaging and teleradiology software product line
from Applicare Medical Imaging B.V. The product consists of the following
modules: RadWorks Review module for viewing images of such modalities as
CR, CT, MR, US, SC, and RG; Teleradiology modules that allow images to be
transmitted between RadWorks systems over normal ISDN or ATM telephone lines
or by using satellite communications; DICOM module for sending DICOM images;
Multi-monitor module for image viewing on multiple monitors; High resolution
module to support high resolution monitors (up to 2K x 2.5K); Digitiser
management module that allows images to be scanned via film digitisers such
as the Vidar VXR-12; Frame grabbing module that allows video signals to
be grabbed. Release 2.0 boasts a raft of new features including the capability
to display colour images from video sources like Ultrasound, Gastroscopy
etc; the scalable viewing matrix and the new DICOM 3.0 Query and Retrieve
module. Improvements have also been made to the current Viewing Part and
the Data Selector. Contact: Applicare
Medical Imaging B.V., P.O. Box 416, 2400 AK, Alphen aan den Rijn, The
Netherlands. Tel.: +31-(0)172 449111: Fax: +31-(0)172 449129; E-mail: sales@applicare.nl
Spyglass Dicer/Slicer
Dicer and Slicer are 3D volumetric data analysis packages. Both perform
raytracing, isosurfacing, orthogonal reslicing, oblique slice rendering
at any arbitrary angle, volume displaying as a cube, translucency and opacity,
and arbitrary orientation of the data. Platform Support: Dicer for
Mac. Slicer for Windows 3.x, Windows NT. Price: $695 (Mac), $495
(PC). Contact: Spyglass Inc.,
P.O. Box 6388, Champaign, IL 61826, USA. Tel: +1-217-355-6000; Fax: (217)
355 8925; E-mail: info@spyglass.com
TrueSolid
TrueSolid is a product line of advanced programs for the importation, manipulation,
analysis and visualisation of solid and volumetric data sets. Input includes
data sets from medical scanners, Cyberware colour laser scanners, etc. Price:
$4,995. Contact: Octree Corporation,
7337 Bollinger Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-4329, USA. Tel: +1-408-257-9013;
Fax: +1-408-257-9014; E-mail: info@octree.com
UltraScan
UltraScan is a real-time 3-D Ultrasound imaging system. Using a customised
frame grabber and a tracking device, the user may interactively view a 3-D,
and stereo 3-D image of a site imaged with a conventional user-supplied
UltraSound station. Contact: Polaris
Imaging, Inc., 70 Dean Knauss Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA. Tel:
+1-401-789-2475; Fax: +1-401-789-2992; E-mail: matthias@eoscan.com
VIDA
VIDA (Volumetric Image Display and Analysis) is a comprehensive package
for the manipulation, display, and analysis of multidimensional image data
sets. VIDA is written in C, runs under the UNIX operating system, and uses
the XView toolkit to conform to the Open Look graphical user interface specification.
A shared memory structure allows for the manipulation of multiple image
data sets simultaneously while the windowing environment allows execution
of multiple processes at once. Available programs include: orthogonal sectioning,
oblique sectioning, volume rendering, surface rendering, region of interest
analysis, conventional cardiac mechanics analysis, homogeneous strain analysis,
tissue blood flow evaluation, interactive image segmentation and editing,
algebraic image manipulation, and more. VIDA is built modularly, allowing
new programs to be developed and integrated easily. The Visualisation modules
are used for viewing image data sets in 2-D, 3-D, or dynamically (movies).
Users can view a volumetric data set in a transverse, sagittal, coronal,
or oblique orientation. In particular, the Orthogonal Sections Display (OSD)
allows users to display images on top of one another, side by side, or within
a region of the screen for comparison. The Oblique Sections Display (OBL)
allows a user to extract slices at any arbitrary orientation. Three- dimensional
displays of organs can be created with Volume Render (VR) or Surface Render
(SR). Both VR ans SR also allow users to make movies rotating and magnifying
the organ. Images and movies created with the VR and SR programs can then
be displayed using the Movie Viewer. Platform Support: UNIX workstations.
Price: $5000. Contact: Division
of Physiologic Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College
of Medicine. Tel: +1-319-356-1381; Fax at 319-356-1503; E-mail: cook@everest.radiology.uiowa.edu
VoxelAnimator
VoxelAnimator allows users to create image sequences of 3-D volume rendered
data with continuous, frame-to-frame control of various rendering parameters
such as viewpoint, opacity, limit planes, colour map, and lighting. In addition,
time changes in 3-D data can be analysed. Effective in presenting the results
of an investigation, as well as revealing depth cues and enhancing subtle
variations that convey information about the structure and spatial relationships
of different regions of a volume. VoxelAnimator enables users to create
high-quality, effective conference presentations or grant applications.
Contact: Vital Images Inc.,
505 North Fourth Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, USA. Tel: +1-515-472-7726;
Fax: +1-515-472-1661; E-mail: vikas@vitalimages.com
VoxelMath
VoxelMath enables 2D and 3D pre-processing of volume data, from a single
voxel to multiple volumes. Its mathematical operations, filters and merge
options can be used for a wide variety of tasks, including enhancing specific
features of a data set, improving the contrast between image features, editing
individual voxel values, correcting abnormalities that sometimes occur during
acquisition, registering slices, and merging separately acquired volumes
into a single analysis volume. Contact: Vital
Images Inc., 505 North Fourth Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, USA. Tel:
+1-515-472-7726; Fax: +1-515-472-1661; E-mail: vikas@vitalimages.com
VoxelView/ULTRA
VoxelView/ULTRA takes advantage of SGI's advanced graphics systems to produce
dramatically advanced, high speed interactive volume rendering and analysis.
This software system significantly increases absolute rendering speed and
rendering efficiency. VoxelView/ULTRA renders over 50 million voxels per
second on an Onyx RE . In addition, VoxelView/ULTRA gives users the unique
option to embed traditional geometric graphics inside a volume of 3D data.
Other key features include: control of all rendering parameters (such as
opacity, lighting, rotation, zoom, thresholding, and colour), comprehensive
measurement capabilities, and multi-channel rendering. Contact: Vital
Images Inc., 505 North Fourth Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, USA. Tel:
+1-515-472-7726; Fax: +1-515-472-1661; E-mail: vikas@vitalimages.com
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