Qualitative evaluation of feature lines on anatomical surfaces

Abstract

This paper deals with the application of feature lines on patient-specific anatomical surfaces used for treatment planning. We introduce the most commonly used feature line methods and evaluate them qualitatively. The evaluation is conducted by physicians and medical researchers to assess shape interpretation and visual impression of these methods compared to surface shading. We utilize several anatomical models, which were derived from clinical image data. Furthermore, we identify the limitations of this kind of illustrative visualization and discuss requirements for their application.