Method and apparatus for processing of diagnostic image data

An apparatus for obtaining and processing of diagnostic image data, comprising:

• an imaging medico-technical diagnosis appliance, wherein a volume examined using the diagnosis appliance is subdivided into a plurality of voxels, a measurement value being allocated to each voxel;
• a storage unit to store image data obtained using the diagnosis appliance;
• and an evaluation unit programmable to,
• select one subset from the totality of the voxels which form the examined volume, by use of a limit value applicable to the measurement values,
• identify at least one cohesive volume area of recorded image data within the selected subset,
• determine a surface of the identified cohesive volume area,
• determine the distance between voxels within the cohesive volume area and the surface,
• identifying volume elements within the cohesive volume area, with each volume element including a central voxel whose distance from the surface represents a local maximum,
• determine a constriction within the cohesive volume area, which separates identified volume elements from one another,
• combine volume elements that are mutually adjacent to the constriction to form a larger sub-region within the cohesive volume area only if the depth of the constriction is less than a constriction limit value, and
• subdivide the determined image data into a plurality of data subsets, the constriction providing a boundary between the different data subsets.

A non-transitory computer readable medium, for use in an apparatus for obtaining and processing of diagnostic image data, wherein a volume examined using the diagnosis appliance is subdivided into a plurality of voxels, one measurement value being allocated to each voxel, and wherein image data is stored, the computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to implement a method comprising:

• selecting one subset from the totality of the voxels which form the examined volume, by use of a limit value applicable to the measurement values,
• identifying at least one cohesive volume area of recorded image data within the selected subset,
• determining a surface of the identified cohesive volume area,
• determining the distance between voxels within the cohesive volume area and the surface,
• identifying volume elements within the cohesive volume area, with each volume element including a central voxel whose distance from the surface represents a local maximum,
• determining a constriction within the cohesive volume area, which separates identified volume elements from one another,
• combining volume elements that are mutually adjacent to the constriction to form a larger sub-region within the cohesive volume area only if the depth of the constriction is less than a constriction limit value, and
• subdividing the determined image data into a plurality of data subsets, the constriction providing a boundary between the different data subsets.