Image processing systems and methods

#This application is the U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/079969, filed on Dec. 7, 2016, which claims the benefit of European Application Serial No. 15200216.8, filed Dec. 15, 2015. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

#The invention relates to image processing systems, image processing methods, to computer program elements and to computer readable media.

#Image registration (also referred to as image alignment or image fusion) is needed in various clinical applications, e.g., for spatial alignment of image data from different protocols, modalities, patient positioning, acquisition times, or contrast states.

#Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an image processing system;

#FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of an image processing method;

#With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown a schematic block diagram of an image processing arrangement IPS.

#The image processing arrangement (or “super”-system) IPS comprises, in broad terms, an image registration or segmentation system—shown to the left of FIG. 1 and a registration evaluation system—shown on the right. Both—systems are, as such, self-contained systems in their own right but can be used of course in conjunction, as shown in FIG. 1. More particularly, it is understood herein that each system can operate separately from the other, but may be arranged, if necessary, to operate in cooperation in a super-system as shown in FIG. 1.

#The image processing system IPS arrangement operates on digital images schematically shown as A, B, acquired by an imaging apparatus IM. Any sort of imaging apparatus, medical or not, is envisaged herein and includes in particular the following non-exhaustive list of imaging modalities: an X-ray imaging apparatus such as CT or C-arm, an MRI or (SPECT) or PET imaging apparatus, an ultrasound apparatus and others. Although the two images A, B may have been acquired by the same imaging modality, a multi-model context is also envisaged herein where the images have been acquired by different imaging modalities. For instance, the images A, B may not necessarily be both X-ray images. In an example for modal-modal imaging, one image A may be an X-ray image whereas the other image B is an ultrasound image. Any other combination of image modalities is also envisaged herein. Although in the above and the following, reference is made to the “two images” A, B, these should be interpreted conceptually as a mere, but convenient, shorthand since, of course, the system is capable to operate on more than two images.