Method and apparatus for segmenting two dimensional images of an anatomical structure

#This application is the U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/082050, filed on Dec. 8, 2017, which claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 16203333.6, filed on Dec. 12, 2016. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

#The invention relates to the field of medical imaging and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for segmenting two-dimensional images of an anatomical structure.

#Medical imaging is a useful tool for providing visual representations of anatomical structures (for example, organs) in images. There exist many different types of medical imaging techniques including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), ultrasound (US), X-ray, and similar. The images acquired from medical imaging can prove valuable for clinical analysis of a subject and, where necessary, medical intervention.

#For a better understanding of the invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment;

#FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment;

#As noted above, the invention provides an improved method and apparatus for segmenting two-dimensional images of an anatomical structure, which overcomes the existing problems.

#FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 100 according to an embodiment that can be used for segmenting two-dimensional (2D) images of an anatomical structure. The two-dimensional images of an anatomical structure can be any time sequence of two-dimensional images of the anatomical structure. In some embodiments, the two-dimensional images may comprise two-dimensional slices through a three-dimensional image. The two-dimensional images can be two-dimensional medical images. Examples include, but are not limited to, two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images, two-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) images, two-dimensional ultrasound (US) images, two-dimensional positron emission tomography (PET) images, two-dimensional single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images, two-dimensional nuclear medicine images, or any other two-dimensional medical images.

#The anatomical structure in the two-dimensional images may be an organ such as a heart, a lung, an intestine, a kidney, a liver, or any other anatomical structure. The anatomical structure in the two-dimensional images can comprise one or more anatomical parts. For example, two-dimensional images of the heart can comprise a ventricle, an atrium, an aorta, and/or any other part of the heart. Although examples have been provided for the type of two-dimensional images and for anatomical structure (and the parts of the anatomical structure) in the two-dimensional images, it will be understood that the invention may also be used for segmenting any other type of two-dimensional images and any other anatomical structures in the two-dimensional images.