Joint Segmentation and Registration

• US 20080063301A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wolf, Matthias, Valadez, Gerardo, Bogoni, Luca
• Application Number:
  US11/853,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20080063301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/294
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20164 Salient point detection; Corner detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/174 involving the use of two or more images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/38 Registration of image sequences

Abstract

A method for joint segmentation and registration includes providing a plurality of datasets comprising images of an object of interest, and performing, iteratively, a segmentation and a registration of at least a portion of the plurality of datasets comprising, performing the segmentation of the plurality of datasets, outputting a segmentation result, performing the registration on the segmentation result, outputting a registration result, and merging information of the plurality of datasets, including the registration result, by propagating the segmentation result from each dataset to all other datasets.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for joint segmentation and registration comprising:

providing a plurality of datasets comprising images of an object of interest; and

performing, iteratively, a segmentation and a registration of at least a portion of the plurality of datasets comprising,

performing the segmentation of the plurality of datasets,

outputting a segmentation result,

performing the registration on the segmentation result,

outputting a registration result, and

merging information of the plurality of datasets, including the registration result, by propagating the segmentation result from each dataset to all other datasets.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining whether a change from previously merged information is greater than a predetermined threshold,

if the change is not less than the threshold iterating the method, and

if the change is less than the threshold otherwise outputting a jointly segmented and registered dataset.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises selecting a portion of the plurality of datasets for the registration based on image quality.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises aligning at least a portion of the plurality of datasets prior to the registration.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises weighting the segmentation result with respect to a probability that a given voxel belongs to a segmented region.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the segmentation result maximizes a probability that a particular voxel belongs to a segmented region and minimizes a local residual error after the registration.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining a confidence of the segmentation result, and using the confidence in the registration.

8. A computer readable medium embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for joint segmentation and registration comprising:

providing a plurality of datasets comprising images of an object of interest; and

performing, iteratively, a segmentation and a registration of at least a portion of the plurality of datasets comprising,

performing the registration on the plurality of datasets,

outputting a registration result,

performing the segmentation of the plurality of datasets,

outputting a segmentation result, and

merging information of the plurality of datasets, including the registration result, by propagating the segmentation result from each dataset to all other datasets.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises determining whether a change from previously merged information is greater than a predetermined threshold,

if the change is not less than the threshold iterating the method, and

if the change is less than the threshold otherwise outputting a jointly segmented and registered dataset.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises selecting a portion of the plurality of datasets for the registration based on image quality.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises aligning at least a portion of the plurality of datasets prior to the registration.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises weighting the segmentation result with respect to a probability that a given voxel belongs to a segmented region.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the segmentation result maximizes a probability that a particular voxel belongs to a segmented region and minimizes a local residual error after the registration.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises determining a confidence of the segmentation result, and using the confidence in the registration.

15. A system for joint segmentation and registration comprising:

a memory device storing a plurality of datasets comprising images of an object of interest and a plurality of instructions embodying the system for joint segmentation and registration; and

a processor for receiving the plurality of datasets and executing the plurality of instructions to perform a method comprising,

performing, iteratively, a segmentation and a registration of at least a portion of the plurality of datasets comprising,

performing the segmentation of the plurality of datasets,

outputting a segmentation result,

performing the registration on the segmentation result,

outputting a registration result, and

merging information of the plurality of datasets, including the registration result, by propagating the segmentation result from each dataset to all other datasets.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises determining whether a change from previously merged information is greater than a predetermined threshold,

if the change is not less than the threshold iterating the method, and

if the change is less than the threshold otherwise outputting a jointly segmented and registered dataset.

17. A system for joint segmentation and registration comprising:

a memory device storing a plurality of datasets comprising images of an object of interest and a plurality of instructions embodying the system for joint segmentation and registration; and

a processor for receiving the plurality of datasets and executing the plurality of instructions to perform a method comprising,

performing, iteratively, a segmentation and a registration of at least a portion of the plurality of datasets comprising,

performing the registration on the plurality of datasets,

outputting a registration result,

performing the segmentation of the plurality of datasets,

outputting a segmentation result, and

merging information of the plurality of datasets, including the registration result, by propagating the segmentation result from each dataset to all other datasets.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises determining whether a change from previously merged information is greater than a predetermined threshold,

if the change is not less than the threshold iterating the method, and

if the change is less than the threshold otherwise outputting a jointly segmented and registered dataset.