Effects of texture and color on the perception of medical images

Carefully and appropriately designed texture patterns, for highlighting the underlying geometry, in addition to standard shading and simulated lighting, can enhance the perception of 3D surface properties such as curvature and orientation. In this paper we propose enhancements to a texture synthesis algorithm for 3D medical data visualization, incorporating a robust texture patch boundary handling technique. We compare different texture and color mapping techniques on a medical object and evaluate their effects based on feedback from human observers. Experimental results show the feasibility of our enhanced algorithm.