US 8,077,937 B2 · Reproducible objective quantification method to segment white matter structures

Abstract

The invention provides a reproducible, objective quantification technique that reliably segments white matter structures. The technique receives a seed voxel within the white matter structure from an individual, determines thresholds and selection criteria, creates a binary mask based on the at least one threshold and the at least one selection criteria and calculates the boundary of the white matter structure based on the binary mask. A magnification factor is applied to each component of the eigenvectors of voxels. Boundary voxels are determined wherein each of the boundary voxels has a magnitude above a predetermined value and is located next to a voxel having a magnitude below the predetermined value. A vector is drawn from the seed voxel to a boundary voxel and the boundary voxels are connected together, thereby forming the region of interest within the connected boundary voxels.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for segmenting a white matter structure comprising:

receiving by a digital processor an identification of an anatomical structure to analyze, the anatomical structure including a plurality of voxels, each of the plurality of voxels having a principal eigenvector comprising x, y, and z components, wherein the principal eigenvector denotes the direction of maximal diffusivity;
receiving a seed voxel within the anatomical structure;
determining x, y, and z components of a principal eigenvector of the seed voxel;
applying by the digital processor a magnification factor to the x, y, and z components of the principal eigenvector of a plurality of potential boundary voxels such that each potential boundary voxel is weighted based on the anisotropy of the voxel;
and
determining a boundary of the anatomical structure based on comparisons of a maximum component of the principal eigenvector of the seed voxel to maximum components of the principal eigenvectors of the potential boundary voxels.

3 more elements

A non-transient computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for instructing a digital processor to perform segmentations on a white matter structure in an anatomical structure, the tangible computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions for receiving an identification of the anatomical structure to analyze, the anatomical structure including a plurality of voxels, each of the plurality of voxels having a principal eigenvector comprising x, y, and z components, wherein the principal eigenvector denotes the direction of maximal diffusivity;
instructions for receiving a seed voxel within the anatomical structure;
instructions for determining x, y, and z components of a principal eigenvector of the seed voxel;
instructions for processing the voxels of the anatomical structure by applying a magnification factor to the x, y, and z components of the principal eigenvectors of a plurality of potential boundary voxels such that each voxel is weighted based on the anisotropy of the voxel;
and
instructions for determining a boundary of the anatomical structure based on comparisons of a maximum component of the principal eigenvector of the seed voxel to maximum components of the principal eigenvectors of the potential boundary voxels.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reproducible objective quantification method to segment white matter structures

Life of this patent

Reproducible objective quantification method to segment white matter structures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18