Optimizing an atlas

A medical system, comprising:

• at least one computer;
• an electronic data storage device storing model image data;
• and
• a medical imaging device for acquiring an image of a patient to generate patient image data,
• wherein the at least one computer is operably coupled to the electronic data storage device for acquiring, from the data storage device, the model data, and to the medical imaging device for acquiring, from the medical imaging device, the patient image data, the computer being further configured to perform the following steps:
• a) acquire model data that describes a fixed element by specifying spatial and representational properties of the fixed element, the fixed element being a generic model of an anatomical body part, and the model data being atlas data of an anatomical atlas;
• b) acquire region data that describes a region with an improvable element lying at least partially within the region, the improvable element representing an anatomical body part of which the atlas element data is to be determined, and the fixed element lying outside the region;
• c) determine model image data based on the model data and the region data, the model image data describing a model image of the fixed element and the region;
• d) acquire patient image data describing a patient image of a corresponding improvable element and of a corresponding fixed element;
• e) determine, by rigidly or elastically fusing the patient image with the model image, model transformation data based on the model image data and the patient image data, the model transformation data describing a transformation for matching the corresponding fixed element to the fixed element;
• f) determine region transformation data based on the model transformation data, the region transformation data describing an individual transformation for mapping the corresponding improvable element into the region for each of a plurality of patient images described by the image data;
• and
• g) determine atlas element data based on the patient image data and the region transformation data, the atlas element data describing an atlas element representing the improvable element by specifying spatial and representational properties of the atlas element separately from one another, wherein the atlas element data is determined by performing at least the following steps:
• determining transformed patient image data based on the patient image data and the region transformation data, the transformed patient image data describing a plurality of images, the plurality of images being determined by applying the individual transformation to each of the plurality of patient images;
• determining approximation image data based on the transformed patient image data, the approximation image data describing an image obtained by superimposing at least parts of the plurality of images described by the transformed patient image data which lie within the region;
• and
• determining the atlas element data based on the approximation image data,
• wherein the spatial property of the fixed element describes a position and/or geometry of the fixed element, the representational property of the fixed element describes the manner in which the fixed element with a given spatial property is to be displayed, the spatial property of the atlas element describes a position and/or geometry of the atlas element, and the representational property of the atlas element describes how the atlas element with a given spatial property is to be displayed.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for determining atlas element data describing an atlas element, which, when running on a computer or loaded onto the computer, causes the computer to:

• a) acquire model data that describes a fixed element by specifying spatial and representational properties of the fixed element, the fixed element being a generic model of an anatomical body part, and the model data being atlas data of an anatomical atlas;
• b) acquire region data that describes a region with an improvable element lying at least partially within the region, the improvable element representing an anatomical body part of which the atlas element data is to be determined, and the fixed element lying outside the region;
• c) determine model image data based on the model data and the region data, the model image data describing a model image of the fixed element and the region;
• d) acquire patient image data describing a patient image of a corresponding improvable element and of a corresponding fixed element;
• e) determine, by rigidly or elastically fusing the patient image with the model image, model transformation data based on the model image data and the patient image data, the model transformation data describing a transformation for matching the corresponding fixed element to the fixed element;
• f) determine region transformation data based on the model transformation data, the region transformation data describing an individual transformation for mapping the corresponding improvable element into the region for each of a plurality of patient images described by the image data;
• and
• g) determine atlas element data based on the patient image data and the region transformation data, the atlas element data describing an atlas element representing the improvable element by specifying spatial and representational properties of the atlas element separately from one another, wherein the atlas element data is determined by:
• determining transformed patient image data based on the patient image data and the region transformation data, the transformed patient image data describing a plurality of images, the plurality of images being determined by applying the individual transformation to each of the plurality of patient images;
• determining approximation image data based on the transformed patient image data, the approximation image data describing an image obtained by superimposing at least parts of the plurality of images described by the transformed patient image data which lie within the region;
• and
• determining the atlas element data based on the approximation image data,
• wherein the spatial property of the fixed element describes a position and/or geometry of the fixed element, the representational property of the fixed element describes the manner in which the fixed element with a given spatial property is to be displayed, the spatial property of the atlas element describes a position and/or geometry of the atlas element, and the representational property of the atlas element describes how the atlas element with a given spatial property is to be displayed.