Integration of visual information, anatomic constraints and prior shape knowledge for medical segmentations
AssigneeSiemens Corporate Research, Inc.
InventorsNikolaos Paragios, Visvanathan Ramesh, Mikael Rousson
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Abstract
This invention relates to the integration of visual information, anatomic constraints, prior shape knowledge, and level set representations for the segmentation of medical images. An embodiment according to the present invention comprises a level set variational framework that uses a bi-directional boundary flow, an intensity-based regional component that maximizes the a posteriori segmentation probability, a physiology-based module that constrains the solution space and a term that accounts for shape-driven consistency. All modules are expressed in an energetic form and the resulting objective function is optimized using a gradient descent method.
Claims21
A method for segmentation of medical images comprising the steps of:
- inputting a mathematical functional into a system for tracking moving interfaces, wherein said mathematical functional accounts for global/local shape properties of a physiological object of interest that is to be recovered;
- visualizing image information wherein said information includes boundary and regional data;
- and
- recovering said physiological object of interest by optimizing said mathematical functional integrated with said image information.
A method for segmentation of medical images comprising the steps of:
- developing a medical shape model on level set space for tracking moving interfaces;
- using said medical shape model for introducing a physiological shape prior in an energetic form;
- and
- recovering a physiological object of interest by minimizing non-stationary distance between an evolving interface and said medical shape model.
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for segmentation of medical images, the method steps comprising:
- developing a medical shape model on level set space for tracking moving interfaces;
- using said medical shape model for introducing a physiological shape prior in an energetic form;
- and
- recovering a physiological object of interest by minimizing non-stationary distance between an evolving interface and said medical shape model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.