CONTOUR GUIDED DEFORMABLE IMAGE REGISTRATION

• US 20130259335A1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Mallya, Yogish, Poston, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration

Abstract

A method includes obtaining first volumetric image data, which is acquired at a first time, including a region of interest with a structural feature located at a first position. The method further includes obtaining second volumetric image data, which is acquired at a second different time, including the region of interest with the structural feature located at a second different position. The method further includes determining a registration transformation that registers the first and second volumetric image data such that the at least one structural feature in the first volumetric image data aligns with the at least one structural feature in the second volumetric image data. The registration transformation is based at least on a contour guided deformation registration. The method further includes generating a signal indicative of the registration transformation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining first volumetric image data, which is acquired at a first time, including a region of interest of a subject, wherein at least one structural feature in the region of interest is located at a first position in the first volumetric image data;

obtaining second volumetric image data, which is acquired at a second time, including the region of interest of the subject, wherein the at least one structural feature in the region of interest is located at a second position in the second volumetric image data,

wherein the second time is subsequent to the first time, and the first and second positions are different positions;

determining a registration transformation that registers the first and second volumetric image data such that the at least one structural feature in the first volumetric image data aligns with the at least one structural feature in the second volumetric image data, wherein the registration transformation is based at least on a contour guided deformation registration; and

generating a signal indicative of the registration transformation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the registration transformation based at least on the contour guided deformation includes determining the registration transformation based on a direction guideline superimposed over the first volumetric image data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the registration transformation includes determining a deformation field vector that extends along the direction guideline.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the registration transformation includes determining a deformation field vector that extends along a line parallel to the direction guideline.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the deformation field vector is pulled towards the direction guideline.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the registration transformation includes determining a deformation field vector that extends perpendicularly from the direction guideline.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the direction guideline is a curved line.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein direction guideline line is a straight line.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the direction guideline is a user drawn line superimposed over the first image data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the direction guideline is part of contour defining a target volume and/or anatomical structures of interest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the target volume of interest includes a tumor to be treated via at least one of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, particle therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, ablation, interferential therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, pulsed shortwave therapy, laser therapy, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second volumetric image data include voxels represents gray level intensity values, and determining the registration transformation, comprising:

determining a difference in intensity value between corresponding voxels in the first and second volumetric image data;

determining an intensity gradient vector for the voxel in the second volumetric image data;

determining a normal vector that is perpendicular to the direction guideline;

determining a dot product of the intensity gradient vector and the normal vector;

determining a square of a magnitude of the intensity gradient vector;

determining a square of the difference; and

calculating a deformation field vector as the product of the difference, the dot product and the normal vector divided by a product of the square of the magnitude and the square of the difference, wherein the deformation field vector is the registration transformation.

13. The method claim 12, further comprising:

regularizing the deformation field vector; and

normalizing the square of the difference a normalization factor prior to calculating the deformation field vector and using the normalized square of the difference to calculate the deformation field vector.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an interactive graphical user interface which includes contouring tools, wherein the interactive graphical user interface receives an input indicative of a user defined contour and an indication to use the contour for the contour guided deformation registration.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor that determines a registration transformation that registers two images, wherein the registration transformation is determined based at least on voxel intensity values of the two images, voxel intensity gradient values for one of the two images, and guide vector values that indicates a direction of the registration.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the guide vector values define on a contour across which the registration is performed.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the guide vector values define on a contour along which the registration is performed.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the registration transformation is utilized to propagate a contour for a volume of interest in one of the images to the other of the images.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the registration transformation is determined based on a product of a difference between voxel intensity values of the two images, the voxel intensity gradient values, and the guide vector values.

20. A method, comprising:

determining a deformation field vector which registers two images based on a contour guided deformable image registration.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first image is acquired at a first time and includes structure of interest at a first location and at least one graphical contour identifying the structure of interest, and the second image is acquired at a second different time and includes the structure of interest at a second different location, and further comprising:

utilizing the deformation field vector to propagate the at least one graphical contour of the first image to the second image so that the at least one contour identifies the structure of interest in the second image.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one graphical contour is created by a user via a graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first image is a treatment planning image and the second image is a follow-up image.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second image is acquired during a treatment procedure.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the treatment procedure includes at least one of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, particle therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, ablation, interferential therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, pulsed shortwave therapy, laser therapy, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the vector is based on a direction guideline superimposed over the first image and extends along or across the direction guideline.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the direction guideline is a user drawn line superimposed over the first image.