Method and apparatus for efficient automated re-contouring of four-dimensional medical imagery using surface displacement fields

An apparatus for processing image data, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor configured to compute a surface displacement field based at least in part on a first, second and third plurality of data points, the first plurality of data points being representative of at least a portion of a reference image, the reference image depicting an object of interest therein, the second plurality of data points being representative of a contour within the reference image, the contour corresponding to the object of interest, the third plurality of data points being representative of at least a portion of a target image, the target image depicting the object of interest therein, the surface displacement field defining a map from the second plurality of data points to a fourth plurality of data points, the fourth plurality of data points representative of a contour within the target image, the target image contour corresponding to the object of interest.

A computer-readable storage medium for processing image data, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

• a plurality of computer-executable instructions for computing a surface displacement field based at least in part on a first, second and third plurality of data points, the first plurality of data points being representative of at least a portion of a reference image, the reference image depicting an object of interest therein, the second plurality of data points being representative of a contour within the reference image, the contour corresponding to the object of interest, the third plurality of data points being representative of at least a portion of a target image, the target image depicting the object of interest therein, the surface displacement field defining a map from the second plurality of data points to a fourth plurality of data points, the fourth plurality of data points representative of a contour within the target image, the target image contour corresponding to the object of interest;
• and
• wherein the instructions are resident on the computer-readable storage medium.