Efficient generation of 3-D images and off-axis projections using a PC-based parallel-processing subsystem

A simple and inexpensive parallel-processing subsystem for the rapid generation and display of 3-D cardiac images from 2-D computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging planes is presented. Parallel versions of algorithms for image interpolation, surface tracking, and 3-D image rendering were developed and implemented using a network of four INMOS transputers which are hosted by a PC-type computer. The subsystem accepts a stack of arbitrarily spaced 2-D image planes and efficiently produces a surface-shaded 3-D orthoprojection image which can then be arbitrarily rotated for viewing. It is concluded that this transputer-based subsystem hosted by a simple PC computer represents a cost-effective alternative to Pixar-style image processing workstations and is capable of generating high-resolution 3-D images in a reasonable amount of time