Interactive atlas to image registration

A method of interactively registering a 3D contoured anatomical structure model to a clinical image of the structure in a patient, including:

• presenting a model, selected from an atlas of models and overlaid on the clinical image, to a user via a display;
• deforming a portion of the selected model in a direction indicated by the user;
• displaying a pair of user-entered landmark points, which define start and end points along the portion of the deformed model;
• adding the landmark points to a set of landmark point pairs stored in a memory;
• calculating a volumetric deformation function for the model using the user-entered landmark points;
• applying the volumetric deformation function to deform the model;
• presenting the updated model on the display to the user in substantially real time;
• receiving information related to a user selection of a pair of corresponding landmark points, one on the model and one on the clinical image;
• defining a display plane on which the pair of landmark points lie;
• displacing the model landmark point in the selected landmark point pair along the display plane toward the clinical image landmark point;
• defining a cut-plane that is orthogonal to a display plane in which the at least one landmark point is displaced;
• and
• presenting the cut-plane view of the model to the user.

A processor or non-transitory computer-readable medium programmed to:

• present a model, selected from an atlas of models and overlaid on the clinical image, to a user via a display;
• deform a portion of the selected model in a direction indicated by the user;
• display a pair of user-entered landmark points, which define start and end points along the portion of the deformed model;
• add the landmark points to a set of landmark point pairs stored in a memory;
• calculate a volumetric deformation function for the model using the user-entered landmark points;
• apply the volumetric deformation function to deform the model;
• present the updated model on the display to the user in substantially real time;
• receive information related to a user selection of a pair of corresponding landmark points, one on the model and one on the clinical image;
• define a display plane on which the pair of landmark points lie;
• displace the model landmark point in the selected landmark point pair along the display plane toward the clinical image landmark point;
• define a cut-plane that is orthogonal to a display plane in which the at least one landmark point is displaced;
• and
• present the cut-plane view of the model to the user.

An elastic 3D contoured model registration apparatus, including:

• a display that presents a model, selected from an atlas of models and overlaid on the clinical image, to a user;
• an input device that permits the user to click on the model and drag a cursor in a direction in which the user wants to deform the model;
• wherein the display displays a pair of user-entered landmark points, which define start and end positions of a line of travel of the cursor, to the user;
• a processor that adds the landmark points to a set of landmark point pairs stored in a memory, calculates a volumetric deformation function for the model using the user-entered landmark points, and applies the volumetric deformation function to deform the model;
• wherein the display displays the updated model to the user in real time;
• wherein the processor:
• receives information related to a user selection of a pair of corresponding landmark points, one on the model and one on the clinical image;
• defines a display plane on which the pair of landmark points lie;
• displaces the model landmark point in the selected landmark point pair along the display plane toward the clinical image landmark point;
• defines a cut-plane that is orthogonal to a display plane in which the at least one landmark point is displaced;
• and
• wherein the display presents the cut-plane view of the model to the user.

An atlas of 3D contoured models of anatomical structures, including:

• a plurality of models of anatomical structures, generated from scanned images of anatomical structures of one or more subjects, wherein the models are deformable in three dimensions and in substantially real time by a user;
• and
• a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores the plurality of models for recall and manipulation by an operator;
• wherein the models are deformable via a user input device that a user employs to move one of a selected pair of landmark points on the model to a third landmark point, and wherein a display plane is defined by the selected pair of landmark points and the third landmark point.

A therapy planning method, including:

• inputting patient image data;
• selecting a contoured model, from an atlas of contoured models displayed to the user on a display, based on patient data, to overlay the patient image data;
• and
• manipulating the selected contoured model to develop a therapy plan;
• wherein the contoured model is manipulated via a user input device that a user employs to move one of a selected pair of landmark points on the model to a third landmark point, and wherein a display plane is defined, by a processor, by the selected pair of landmark points and the third landmark point.