Fully automatic vessel tree segmentation

A machine readable medium including machine instructions to perform a method comprising:

• accessing stored image data corresponding to a three dimensional (3D) reconstructed image;
• identifying one or more components of the image data deemed likely to belong to a vessel;
• computing one or more characteristic paths for one or more identified components;
• and
• forming a vessel tree by connecting a characteristic path of an identified component to a characteristic path of another identified component or to a common vessel source.

A system comprising:

• a first memory to store image data corresponding to a three dimensional (3D) reconstructed image;
• and
• a processor in communication with the first memory, wherein the processor includes an automatic vessel tree extraction module comprising:
• a load data module to access the stored image data;
• a component identification module to identify those one or more components of the image data deemed likely to belong to a vessel;
• a characteristic path computation module to compute one or more characteristic paths for an identified component having a volume greater than a specified threshold volume value and to discard an identified component having a volume less than the specified threshold volume value;
• and
• a connection module to connect the computed one or more characteristic paths of the identified component to a characteristic path of another identified component or to a common vessel source until the identified components are connected or discarded.