System and method for automatic delineation of scanned images

A method of generating synthetic scan images for use in a database of image and contour pairs, where the database is used in the delineation of features in one or more real scan images, comprising the steps of:

• providing a delineated real scan image acquired using a first image scanner
• defining a model related to the generation of a synthetic scan image using a second image scanner,
• processing the delineated real scan image using the model to generate said synthetic scan image, and mapping contours from the delineated real image to the synthetic image to form a new synthetic image-contour pair;
• repeating said providing, defining and processing steps for a plurality of delineated real scan images to generate a corresponding plurality of synthetic scan images and contour pairs for the database of image and contour pairs;
• using said database of generated plurality of synthetic scan images and contour pairs to optimise an automated contouring algorithm, where the optimised algorithm generates contours for the real scan images of the same type as the synthetic scan images;
• processing one or more further real scan images of the same type as said synthetic scan images to contour and delineate features on said further real scan image using said optimised automated contouring algorithm.