Automatic tracing algorithm for quantitative analysis of continuous structures

A computer-implemented automatic tracing algorithm for a quantitative analysis of continuous structures, applied for analyzing a 3D image of the continuous structures, and each the continuous structure having at least one characteristic element, and the algorithm comprising the steps of:

• S1′:
• capturing the 3D image of the continuous structure, digitizing the 3D image, setting an intensity threshold of the 3D image, and filtering the 3D image by the intensity threshold, such that the filtered 3D image is comprised of a plurality of voxels;
• S2′:
• selecting a starting point voxel, assigning a starting point code N1 to the starting point voxel, wherein the starting point voxel is selected from any voxel of the 3D image;
• S3′:
• encoding all the voxels of the 3D image, and the step S3′ comprising the steps of:
• S31′:
• assigning a voxel code to all the voxels of the starting point voxel N1, wherein the voxel code is incremented from the starting point code N1 by an integer to N2;
• S32′:
• using the voxel with a voxel code of N2 as an adjacent starting point, and assigning a voxel code of N3 to each the voxel adjacent to the voxel with the voxel code of N2;
• and
• S33′:
• repeating the step S32 until all the voxels of the 3D image are encoded;
• and
• S4:
• using a standard code tracking to identify the characteristic element of the 3D image, and the standard code tracking comprising the steps of:
• S41:
• setting a tracing codelet (Np+t−1, Np+t−2, . . . , Nt), wherein the tracing codelet is comprised of the three or more connected voxels, the tracing codelet has a length of p voxels, a starting point at a voxel with a voxel code of Np+t−1, an end point at a voxel with a voxel code of Nt, and an integer t starts at 1 and increases as a tracing progress;
• S42:
• tracing by the tracing codelet from each direction of the starting point voxel N1 to the adjacent voxel code by using a source field encoding methodology;
• S43:
• using the adjacent voxel code as a tracing codelet starting point and repeating the step S42 until all the voxel codes of the 3D image are traced;
• and
• S44:
• determining each the characteristic element in the 3D image of the continuous structure, and recording the voxel code at the position of the characteristic element of the continuous structure.

A computer-implemented automatic tracing algorithm for a quantitative analysis of continuous structures, applied for analyzing a 2D image of the continuous structures, and each the continuous structure having at least one characteristic element, and the algorithm comprising the steps of:

• SS1:
• capturing a 2D image of the continuous structure and digitizing the 2D image such that the 2D image is comprised of a plurality of pixels;
• SS2:
• selecting a starting point and assigning a starting point code N1 to the starting point, wherein the starting point is selected from any pixel of the 2D image;
• SS3:
• setting an intensity threshold of the 2D image, and encoding all the pixels of the 2D image that match with the intensity threshold from the starting point, and the step SS3 further comprising the steps of:
• SS31:
• assigning a pixel code to all pixels adjacent to the starting point N1 and matched with the intensity threshold, wherein the pixel code is incremented from the starting point code N1 by an integer to N2;
• SS32:
• using the pixel with a pixel code of N2 as an adjacent starting point, and assigning a pixel code of N3 to each the pixel adjacent to the pixel with the pixel code of N2 and matched with the intensity threshold;
• SS33:
• repeating the step SS32 until all the pixels of the 2D image matched with the intensity threshold are encoded;
• and
• SS4:
• using a standard code tracking to identify the characteristic element of the 2D image, and the standard code tracking further comprising the steps of:
• SS41:
• setting a tracing codelet (Np+t−1, Np+t−2, . . . , Nt), wherein the tracing codelet is comprised of the three or more connected pixels, the tracing codelet has a length of p pixels, a starting point at a pixel with a pixel code of Np+t−1, an end point at a pixel with a pixel code of Nt, and an integer t starts at 1 and increases as a tracing progress;
• SS42:
• tracing by using the tracing codelet from each direction of the starting point to the adjacent pixel code by a source field encoding methodology;
• SS43:
• using the adjacent pixel code as a starting point of the tracing codelet and repeating the step SS42 until all pixel codes of the 2D image are traced;
• and
• SS44:
• determining each the characteristic element in the 2D image of the continuous structure, and recording the pixel code at the position of the characteristic element of the continuous structure.

A computer-implemented automatic tracing algorithm for a quantitative analysis of continuous structures, applied for analyzing a 2D image of the continuous structures, and each the continuous structure having at least one characteristic element, and the algorithm comprising the steps of:

• SS1′:
• capturing the 2D image of the continuous structure, digitizing the 2D image, setting an intensity threshold of the 2D image, and filtering the 2D image by the intensity threshold, such that the filtered 2D image is comprised of a plurality of pixels;
• SS2′:
• selecting a starting point and assigning a starting point code N1 to the starting point, wherein the starting point is selected from any pixel of the 2D image;
• SS3′:
• encoding all the pixels of the 2D image, and the step SS3′ further comprising the steps of:
• SS31′:
• assigning a pixel code to the pixel adjacent to the starting point N1, wherein the pixel code is incremented from the starting point code N1 by an integer to N2;
• SS32′:
• using the pixel with a pixel code of N2 as an adjacent starting point, and assigning a pixel code of N3 to each the pixel adjacent to the pixel with the pixel code of N2;
• and
• SS33′:
• repeating the step SS32 until all pixels of the 2D image are encoded;
• and
• SS4:
• using a standard code tracking to identify the characteristic element of the 2D image, and the standard code tracking comprising the steps of:
• SS41:
• setting a tracing codelet (Np+t−1, Np+t−2, . . . , Nt), wherein the tracing codelet is comprised of the three or more connected pixels, the tracing codelet has a length of p pixels, a starting point at a pixel with a pixel code of Np+t−1, an end point at a pixel with a pixel code of Nt, and an integer t starts at 1 and increases as a tracing progress;
• SS42:
• tracing by using the tracing codelet from each direction of the starting point to the adjacent pixel code by a source field encoding methodology;
• SS43:
• using the adjacent pixel code as a starting point of the tracing codelet and repeating the step SS42 until all the pixel codes of the 2D image are traced;
• and
• SS44:
• determining each the characteristic element in the 2D image of the continuous structure, and recording the pixel code at the position of the characteristic element of the continuous structure.

A computer-implemented automatic tracing algorithm for a quantitative analysis of continuous structures, applied for analyzing a 3D image comprised of a plurality of voxels of the continuous structures, and each the continuous structure having at least one characteristic element, and the algorithm comprising the steps of:

• setting a tracing codelet (Np+t−1, Np+t−2, . . . , Nt), which is comprised of the three or more connected voxels, wherein the tracing codelet has a length of p voxels, a starting point at a voxel with a voxel code of Np+t−1, an end point at a voxel with a voxel code of Nt, and an integer t starts at 1 and increases as a tracing progress;
• tracing by the tracing codelet from each direction of a starting point voxel to an adjacent voxel code by using a source field encoding methodology;
• using the adjacent voxel code as a tracing codelet starting point and repeating the tracing step until all the voxel codes of the 3D image are traced;
• and
• determining each the characteristic element in the 3D image of the continuous structure, and recording the voxel code at a position of the characteristic element of the continuous structure.