Written by:

Jim Plewa

Chief Operating Officer CaseReader by DPR

Volumetric Imaging
Volumetric imaging may be a staple concept in science fiction but this

field of imaging, which first appeared in the early part of the twentieth century, is still in its infancy and is only just becoming accessible.

Volumetric display systems were, for a long time, confined to use in a small number of academic research laboratories and corporate facilities, and by some military scientists.

Significant improvements in volumetric imaging in recent years have

led to wider use of the technology, particularly in medicine.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

Volumetric Imaging
There are significant advantages to the use of volumetric

imaging devices in this field, including improved visualisation of anatomical structures for surgical applications, research, diagnostic and educational purposes.
Air traffic control and military operations also benefit from

the volumetric imaging systems already available.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

What Are Volumetric Images?

Volumetric imaging refers to the production of images with height,

depth, and length, in contrast to the majority of images produced artificially as two dimensional representations.
Viewers of volumetric images are able to view them from all angles and

may even be able to interact with the image, depending on its characteristics.
There is no clear consensus on taxonomy within the field of volumetric

imaging displays, although attempts have been made to classify devices according to whether they produce an image viewable by the naked eye and whether an intermediate surface is required to house the image.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

Holograms and Volumetric Imaging

Holograms are stereoscopic, and may appear three-dimensional but are

viewed on a two-dimensional surface such as glass or film. and can be projected, instead, into the air itself.

True volumetric images have no need of this two-dimensional plane

Perhaps the most easily recognizable type of volumetric imaging is that

used in Star Trek, where the Holo Deck allowed crew members to enter into a virtual reality viewable from all angles and with which they could interact. of existing volumetric imaging systems continue to use holographic technology.

Such images are not yet able to be produced, however, and the majority

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

True Volumetric Imaging

True volumetric images appear to float in the air but remain the purview of a small number of scientists and engineers. One device that is capable of producing these types of images is the fluorescent vapor imaging device. This volumetric imaging device uses a combination of mercury vapors and infrared light beams bounced off chemically-coated surfaces to alter their wavelengths. At the crossing point of two beams of light, the mercury vapors glow, making the image visible in the darkness. Clearly, there are some drawbacks with such a complex device designed to be used in the dark but other researchers are working on developing less problematic volumetric imaging devices.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

Static and Swept Volume Displays

Swept volume displays are particularly useful in oncology

imaging as they change with the movement of the surface on which they are formed.

Such images are produced through the projection of computationally decomposed slices onto a spinning surface, creating a 3D image on a 2D surface, through embedded light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or by using other techniques.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

Static and Swept Volume Displays

Static volume 3D displays are also increasingly being used

in the field of volumetric imaging as these create volume images without any macroscopic moving parts.
Instead, most static volume imaging systems use

intersecting beams of laser light combined with a solid, liquid, or gas to create visible radiation.
Newer devices are able to create the floating types of

images mentioned above by using a rapidly pulsing infrared laser to create glowing focal points in the air, removing the need for a projection surface.
by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader 8

Tissue-Volume Images
Volumetric Imaging in Action
Developments in volumetric imaging have also resulted in three-

dimensional (3D) fluorescence images of organic tissue as an alternative to the stacked two-dimensional images normally acquired from confocal or light-sheet microscopy.
These imaging techniques are costly and take a long time to

produce, making them unsuitable for visualising brief biological occurrences.

The development of scanless volumetric imaging systems means

that a single shot can capture an entire three-dimensional object using an adapted epifluorescence microscope.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

Tissue-Volume Images
Volumetric Imaging in Action
A key device in this field is the light-field microscope, developed at

Stanford University, which produces 3D videos by recording the different points at which light rays pass through a microlens and the main lens of the sensor plane of the optical microscope.
A secondary approach to volumetric imaging involves an adapted

multifocus fluorescence microscope that captures the full focal stack all at once on a single camera.
This type of volumetric imaging system is fast, similar in quality to that

of a wide-field microscope, and can be used for imaging of small organisms and single molecules, giving it a wide range of applications.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

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Freehand Volumetric Imaging Systems

Freehand volumetric imaging systems are particularly helpful in

visualising musculoskeletal, gynaecological, and cardiac structures and tissues and include the xMATRIC electronic array, manufactured by Philips.
This is an ultrasound system that provides a clear, live image while

capturing quantifiable data, making it well-suited to endometrial evaluation, fetal cardiac examination and so forth.
Another device on the market, the iSlice, automatically updates the

given 2D projection as the volume view is rotated and allows physicians to select 4, 9, 16 or 25 2D image slices from the volume set for improved decision-making during diagnosis.
by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader 11

4D Volumetric Imaging
Volumetric imaging tools can allow physicians to visualize directional

blood flow, measure specific hypoechoic structures such as the bladder, follicles, and gallbladder, and even create a 4D representation of fetal heart movement.
This is facilitated by Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation (STIC) which

pairs a calculated heart rate with the captured volumes in order to display and examine the image in real time, allowing for the detection of abnormalities in fetal heart rhythm.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

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Advantages of Volumetric Imaging

Provide a significant amount of information in a short

space of time.
Provide information that is able to be interrogated for

rapid diagnosis and patient management.

Create incredibly useful images, available in a variety

of devices.

by: Jim Plewa, Chief Operating Officer of CaseReader

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Volumetric Imaging
Written by:

Jim Plewa
Chief Operating Officer CaseReader

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