Image processing method and system, and medical examination apparatus, for extracting a path following a threadlike structure in an image
First Claim
1. An image processing method of extracting points of a path following a threadlike structure in an image formed by a grid of potential points, the image processing method comprising:
- marching a front of points forward starting at a predetermined start point until a predetermined end point of the grid is reached to thereby identify at least one track formed by succeeding points denoted fathers and corresponding children of the threadlike structure; and
back propagating the front along a first track starting at the end point through the children and the fathers of the first track until the start point is reached whereby the points of the path following the threadlike structure in the image are extracted.
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Abstract
An image processing method of extracting the points of a path following a threadlike structure in an image (IP) formed by a grid of Potential points. A first processing step (4) implements a first path-tracking operation using a front marching technique denoted Filiation Front Marching Technique (FFM) for supplying at least one First Track of the threadlike structure, formed by succeeding points denoted Fathers and Children, by marching a Front of points forwards from a fixed Start point (A) to a fixed End point (B). A second processing step (5) implements a second path-tracking operation using the Filiation Front Marching Technique for supplying a Best Path from one First Track by back propagating the Front starting at the End Point and going through already determined Children and Fathers until the Start Point is reached.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An image processing method of extracting points of a path following a threadlike structure in an image formed by a grid of potential points, the image processing method comprising:
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marching a front of points forward starting at a predetermined start point until a predetermined end point of the grid is reached to thereby identify at least one track formed by succeeding points denoted fathers and corresponding children of the threadlike structure; and back propagating the front along a first track starting at the end point through the children and the fathers of the first track until the start point is reached whereby the points of the path following the threadlike structure in the image are extracted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system, comprising:
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means for acquiring image data from an original image representing a threadlike structure on a background, the image data including digital intensity levels and pixel coordinates in the original image; means for constructing an image of potentials in which each pixel of the original image is associated to a potential forming a grid of points; means for setting end points within the image of potentials, the end points including a start point and an end point between which a path following the threadlike structure is to be determined; and means for marching a front from the start point through points dented as fathers and children to the end point and to subsequently propagate backwards from the end point through each child and father of a first track until the start point is reached.
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14. An image processing system of performing a path-tracking operation to extract points of a threadlike structure in an image formed of a grid of potential points from at least one track formed of succeeding points denoted first points (fathers) and corresponding second points (children) of the threadlike structure by marching a front of points forwards, the method comprising:
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means for setting a predetermined start point and a predetermined end point in the grid; and means for propagating the front forwards between the start point and the end point when the following conditions are satisfied for selecting a second point (child) to succeed a first point (father) of the grid to form the track, wherein the conditions include a first location for the first point (father) which must already pertain to the front, and a criterion of cost for the first point (father) referred to as cumulated costs which must be minimal compared to the cumulated costs of other points of the front, a second location for the second point (child), which must be on the same row or column of the grid (city block distance) as the first point (father) with one grid point interval, and a criterion of cost referred to as cumulated costs for said second point (child) which must be minimal compared to cumulated costs obtained with other possible first points (fathers), and a filiation according to which said determined second point (child) becomes a possible further first point (father) of the front for further forwarding the front, said cumulated costs including a term of the minimum among the cumulated costs of the succeeding points already selected from the start point to a so-called first point and a term of the potential at a so-called second point.
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Specification