Automated fiber tracking of human brain white matter using diffusion tensor imaging

A workstation comprising:

• a receiving engine to receive an atlas having at least one magnetic resonance image corresponding to a soft tissue region having a plurality of soft tissue substructures, and pre-selected data encoding at least one soft tissue substructure in said soft tissue region;
• and
• a registration engine to generate database data including information identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure by aligning said atlas with said pre-selected data,
• wherein said workstation is in communication with a data storage unit and is adapted to produce database data based on said atlas and said pre-selected data;
• wherein said data storage unit is configured to store said database data that includes the generated identifying information;
• and
• wherein said pre-selected data is based on input from at least one experienced operator.

A workstation to process at least one magnetic resonance image from at least one subject showing a soft tissue region having at least one soft tissue substructure, comprising:

• a receiving engine to receive said at least one magnetic resonance image from said at least one subject and database data including information identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure;
• an alignment engine to align the received at least one magnetic resonance image with the received database data;
• and
• a processing engine to generate information identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure on the received at least one magnetic resonance image.

A method, comprising:

• receiving an atlas corresponding to a soft tissue region having a plurality of soft tissue substructures;
• receiving pre-selected data encoding at least one soft tissue substructure in said soft tissue region;
• and
• generating database data including information identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure by aligning said data with said atlas,
• wherein said pre-selected data is based on input from at least one experienced operator.

The method of 22, wherein said generating further comprises:

• storing the coordinates of the reconstructed at least one soft tissue substructure of at least one subject in alignment with the received atlas;
• averaging the stored coordinates;
• and
• generating at least one probabilistic map spatially identifying the at least one soft tissue substructure.

A method comprising:

• receiving at least one magnetic resonance image showing a soft tissue region having at least one soft tissue substructure from a subject;
• receiving database data corresponding to said soft tissue region;
• aligning said database data with said at least one magnetic resonance image;
• and
• processing information from said database data to identify said at least one soft tissue substructure on said at least one magnetic resonance image.

A computer-readable medium comprising software, which when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to perform operations to generate database data, the software comprising:

• one or more instructions to receive an atlas corresponding to a soft tissue region;
• one or more instructions to receive data encoding at least one soft tissue substructure in said soft tissue region;
• one or more instructions to align said data with said atlas;
• and
• one or more instructions to generate database data including information identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure.

The method of 35, further comprises:

• one or more instructions to store the coordinates of the reconstructed at least one soft tissue substructure in alignment with said atlas;
• one or more instructions to average the stored coordinates;
• and
• one or more instructions to generate at least one probabilistic map spatially identifying said at least one soft tissue substructure.

A computer-readable medium comprising software, which when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to process at least one magnetic resonance image, the software comprising:

• one or more instructions to receive said at least one magnetic resonance from a subject showing a soft tissue region having at least one soft tissue substructure;
• one or more instructions to receive database data corresponding to said soft tissue region;
• one or more instructions to align database data with said at least one magnetic resonance image by transforming at least one of shape, size, or orientation of said database data to that of said at least one magnetic resonance image;
• and
• one or more instructions to process information from said database data to identify said at least one soft tissue substructure on said at least one magnetic resonance image.