1. A method, including steps of
allocating information representing a three-dimensional scene among a set of sub-scenes;
generating a two-dimensional sub-image for each sub-scene, responsive to a rendering viewpoint;
combining the two-dimensional sub-images, responsive to the rendering viewpoint.
2. A method as in claim 1, including steps of presenting a result of the steps of combining.
3. A method as in claim 1, including steps of sending information representing each sub-scene to a substantially independent computing device.
4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the steps of generating include rendering the sub-scenes substantially concurrently and substantially independently.
5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the sub-images include substantially compact and continuous planar regions.
6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the sub-scenes include substantially compact and continuous spatial regions.
7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the sub-scenes smoothly fill substantially the entire scene.
8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the steps of allocating include steps of
determining a set of rendering commands associated with the scene; and
optimizing the set of sub-scenes with respect to at least one selected parameter.
9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the parameter includes at least one of: a number of rendering commands, an amount of bandwidth for sending rendering commands, an amount of memory for maintaining rendering commands, an amount of time for performing rendering commands.
10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the steps of optimizing include positioning planar borders between sub-scenes.
11. A method as in claim 8, wherein
the sub-scenes include rectilinear sub-objects of a rectilinear object encompassing the scene; and
the steps of optimizing include positioning planar borders between sets of sub-scenes, with the effect of allocating selected spatial regions of the scene to selected sub-scenes.
12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the steps of combining include
determining a partial ordering of the sub-images responsive to the rendering viewpoint; and
combining any overlapping sub-images in response to the partial ordering.
13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the partial ordering is responsive to a back-to-front ordering of the sub-images responsive to the rendering viewpoint.
14. A method as in claim 12, wherein the steps of combining overlapping sub-images include steps of
coupling the sub-images in a hierarchy responsive to the partial ordering; and
combining overlapping sub-images substantially concurrently and substantially independently.
15. A method as in claim 12, wherein the steps of combining overlapping sub-images include steps of
coupling the sub-images using a switch responsive to the partial ordering; and
combining overlapping sub-images substantially concurrently and substantially independently.
16. A method as in claim 1, wherein the steps of generating include steps of, for at least one selected sub-scene
allocating information representing that sub-scene among a set of sub-sub-scenes;
generating a sub-sub-image for each sub-sub-scene, responsive to the rendering viewpoint; and
combining the sub-sub-images, responsive to the rendering viewpoint.
17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the at least one sub-scene is selected responsive to at least one of: a desired fineness of detail, a proximity of the rendering viewpoint to the sub-scene, a rate of change of the sub-scene, a relative range of angles within the sub-scene with respect to the rendering viewpoint.
18. A method as in claim 16, wherein the at least one selected sub-scene is selected responsive to at least one of: a number of rendering commands, an amount of bandwidth for sending rendering commands, an amount of memory for maintaining rendering commands, an amount of time for performing rendering commands.
19. Apparatus including
a set of computing devices, at least one of which takes on the role of a controlling device, and at least one of which takes on the role of a rendering device;
a communication link between the controlling device and one or more rendering devices;
information, at the controlling device, representing a set of objects in a three-dimensional scene and a rendering viewpoint with respect to that scene; and
information, at one such rendering device, representing a two-dimensional sub-image associated with only a portion of that scene;
wherein at least one of those devices takes on the role of a compositing device.
20. Apparatus as in claim 19, wherein that portion of the scene includes a substantially compact and continuous spatial sub-region of the scene.
21. Apparatus as in claim 19, wherein that sub-image includes a substantially compact and continuous planar region.
22. Apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the compositing device includes the controlling device.
23. Apparatus as in claim 19, including information, at the compositing device, representing a back-to-front partial ordering of one or more such sub-images, with respect to the rendering viewpoint.
24. Apparatus as in claim 22, wherein
the compositing device includes more than one computing device taking on the role of a portion of the compositing device;
the portions of the compositing device include a hierarchy responsive to the partial ordering.
25. Apparatus as in claim 22, wherein
the compositing device includes more than one computing device taking on the role of a portion of the compositing device;
the portions of the compositing device include a switch responsive to the partial ordering.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An article of manufacture, said article comprising:
a computer readable media having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:
receiving a plurality of sets of data fields derived from patient samples, wherein each set of data fields comprise:
a first value corresponding to a property of a first excised tissue sample comprising one or more continuous strips of material from the inner surface of a vascular lumen, and
a second value corresponding to data identifying a patient;
a third data field corresponding to the patient’s health;
storing the plurality of sets of data fields;
correlating the data fields; and
stratifying the patient for a treatment regime.
2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the third data field comprises a value corresponding to cardiac health of the patient.
3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the property is selected from the group consisting of: a level of a marker in the tissue, a composition of the tissue sample, histologic characterization of the tissue, an immunochemical characterization of the tissue, a genomic characteristic, level of a mRNA, a location of the vascular lumen from which the tissue was excised, a volume or a mass of the excised tissue.
4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising: a fourth data field comprising a value corresponding to a characteristic of the patient’s blood.
5. The article of manufacture of claim 4 wherein the patient’s blood was withdrawn at the time of or before tissue excision.
6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising: a fifth data field comprising a value corresponding to family history of the patient.
7. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising: a sixth data field comprising a value corresponding to the patient’s medical history.
8. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising: a seventh data field comprising a value corresponding to a property of a second tissue sample excised from the vascular lumen of the patient at a distinct time.
9. The article of manufacture of claim 8 wherein the second tissue sample is excised from the same vascular lumen as the first tissue sample.
10. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising: an eighth data field comprising a value corresponding to a property of a second tissue sample excised from distinct vascular lumen of the patient on a same day as the first tissue sample.
11. The article of manufacture media of claim 1 wherein said media are associated with one or more excised tissue samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the computer readable media comprise a ninth data field which comprises a value which links the labeled storage containers with a value in the second data field.
12. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said media are associated with one or more excised tissue samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the storage containers are labeled with a value in the second data field.
13. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said media are associated with one or more samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the one or more samples comprise a component extracted or processed from an excised vascular tissue from a vascular lumen of the patient, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, cDNA, and protein, and wherein the computer readable media comprise a tenth data field which comprises a value which links the labeled storage containers with a value in the second data field.
14. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said media are associated with one or more samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the storage containers are labeled with a value in the second data field, wherein the samples comprise a component extracted or processed from an excised vascular tissue from a vascular lumen of the patient, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, cDNA, and protein.
15. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said vascular lumen comprises an artery and said tissue sample comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a plaque, an occlusive material, a stenotic material, and a hyperplastic material.
16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein said value comprises a result of a characterization, a test, or a diagnosis performed on said first excised tissue sample, which result is stored within said first data structure.
17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein said result comprises therapeutic efficacy information.
18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein said therapeutic efficacy information comprises an efficacy of a treatment or a drug.
19. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein said test comprises a member selected from the group consisting of: a genomic screening, a DNA hybridization, a RNA hybridization, a gene expression analysis, a PCR amplification, a proteomic test, a drug efficacy screening, a determination of the presence of one or more protein markers, a determination of the presence of one or more DNA markers, a determination of the presence of one or more RNA markers, a histological test, a histopathology, a cytopathology, a cell type analysis, a tissue type analysis, a test to determine sensitivity to drugs, a test to determine sensitivity to toxins, and a biopsy.