Fluid Dynamics Approach To Image Segmentation

• US 20100002925A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Alvino, Christopher V., Grady, Leo, Kiraly, Atilla Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20101 Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/149 involving deformable models, e.g. active contour models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/248 by interactive preprocessing or interactive shape modelling, e.g. feature points assigned by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/267 by performing operations on regions, e.g. growing, shrinking or watersheds

Abstract

A method for segmenting image data within a data processing system includes acquiring an image. One or more seed points are established within the image. An advection vector field is computed based on image influences and user input. A dye concentration is determined at each of a plurality of portions of the image that results from a diffusion of dye within the computed advection field. The image is segmented into one or more regions based on the determined dye concentration for the corresponding dye.

Claims

1. A method for segmenting image data within a data processing system, comprising:

acquiring an image;

establishing one or more seed points within the image;

calculating a flow field for the image by using image features as influences of flow;

using the established one or more seed points as sources and sinks of at least one diffusive dye that diffuses and advects through the calculated flow field;

determining a dye concentration at each of a plurality of portions of the image that results from the diffusion and advection of the dye within the calculated flow field; and

segmenting the image into one or more regions based on the determined dye concentration for the corresponding dye.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising establishing one or more advection jets within the image and factoring in the effects of the established one or more advection jets in calculating the flow field for the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein there is one unique flow field for each diffusive dye.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired image is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired image is a three-dimensional medical image and either a CT image, an MR image, a PET image or an ultrasound image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a flow field is obtained directly from an imaging modality used in acquiring the image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more seed points are established by a user identifying at least one location of the image that is known to be part of each of the one or more regions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more seed points are automatically established by identifying at least one location of the image that is known to be part of each of the one or more regions.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more advection jets are established by a user identifying directions of flow corresponding to particular seed points.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more advection jets are automatically established by identifying directions of flow corresponding to particular seed points.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the one or more seed points are established by a user identifying at least one location of the image that is known to be part of each of the one or more regions; and

the one or more advection jets are established by a user identifying directions of flow corresponding to particular seed points;

wherein

the user identifies a seed point of the one or more seed points and an advection jet of the one or more advection jets substantially simultaneously by the use of a gesture-based input.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the flow field is calculated using Navier-Stokes equations adapted to scale diffusion and advection based on image features, viscosity and diffusion rates.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the adapted Navier-Stokes equations take the following form:

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one diffusive dyes corresponds to a label and with respect to each label, the seed point(s) corresponding to a corresponding label are established as dye sources and seed point(s) of other labels are established as dye sinks and wherein this step is performed for each label.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the dye concentration is determined at a steady state, after a predetermined length of time, or at a point in which subsequent changes to the dye concentrations are insignificant.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the dye concentration is determined deterministically by a direct solution.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein segmenting the image based on the dye concentrations includes:

examining the image as a set of pixels/voxels;

determining the concentration for each dye at each pixel/voxel; and

segmenting the image into continuous regions of pixels/voxels in accordance with a dominant concentration of a particular dye.

18. A method for segmenting image data within a data processing system, comprising:

establishing one or more seed points within an image;

establishing one or more advection jets within the image;

calculating a flow field for the image by using image features as influences of flow and factoring in the effects of the established one or more advection jets;

using the established one or more seed points as sources and sinks of at least one diffusive dye that diffuses through the calculated flow field;

determining a dye concentration at each of a plurality of portions of the image that results from the diffusion and advection of the dye within the calculated flow field; and

segmenting the image into one or more regions based on the determined dye concentration for the corresponding dye.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for segmenting image data within a data processing system, the method comprising;

acquiring an image;

establishing one or more seed points within the image;

computing an advection vector field based on image influences and user input;

determining a dye concentration at each of a plurality of portions of the image that results from a diffusion and advection of dye within the computed advection field; and

segmenting the image into one or more regions based on the determined dye concentration for the corresponding dye.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the method additionally comprises establishing one or more advection jets within the image and factoring in the effects of the established one or more advection jets in determining the dye concentration at each portion of the image