Introducing Cinematic Rendering: A Novel Technique for Post-Processing Medical Imaging Data

Since the 1980s, various techniques have been used in the field of medicine for the post-processing of medical imaging data from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR). They include multiplanar reformations (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP) and Volume Rendering (VR). This paper presents the prototype of a new means of post-processing radiological examinations such as CT and MR, a technique that, for the first time, provides photorealistic visualizations of the human body. This new procedure was inspired by the quality of images achieved by animation software such as programs used in the entertainment industry, particularly to produce animated films. Thus, the name: Cinematic Rendering. It is already foreseeable that this new method of depiction will quickly be incorporated into the set of instruments employed in socalled virtual anatomy (teaching anatomy through the use of radiological depictions of the human body via X-ray, CT and MR in addition to the use of computer animation programs designed especially for human anatomy). Its potential for medical applications will have to be evaluated by future scientific investigations.