Automated measurement of objects using deformable models

• US 20060165268A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Weese, Jurgen, Kaus, Michael, Lobregt, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of digital imaging, in particular to the field of estimating geometrical properties of an anatomical object. According to the present invention, geometrical properties are automatically measured and geometrical properties which have a definition based on sub-parts of the object are derived. To do this, additional geometrical information is integrated into a surface model. Geometrical properties are included into the surface model by identifying and labelling sub-parts of the surface model and fitting geometric primitives to these sub-parts. This advantageously allows to identify these sub-parts on an unseen object surface and to automatically extract relevant geometric properties.

Claims

1. Method for determining geometrical properties of a structure of an object displayed in an image, comprising the steps of:

(a) adapting a deformable surface model to the object;

(b) applying additional geometrical information to the adapted deformable surface model of the object; and

(c) extracting the geometric properties of the structure of the object from the adapted deformable surface model to which additional geometrical information has been applied.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) of applying additional geometrical information to the adapted deformable surface model of the object further comprises the steps of:

identifying surface elements of the deformable surface model relating to a particular sub-part of the object; and

fitting a geometric primitive to the surface elements relating to the particular sub-part of the object in the deformable surface model, the geometric primitive having a form corresponding to a form of the particular sub-part.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the geometrical properties of the object are extracted on the basis of the geometrical primitive.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the surface elements of the particular sub-part of the object are identified by means of labels assigned to the surface elements belonging to the particular sub-part.

5. Method for determining an extended deformable surface model for adaptation to an object, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a deformable surface model of the object, wherein the deformable surface model describes a surface of the object; and

(b) integrating additional geometrical information into the deformable surface model.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein step (b) of integrating additional geometrical information into the deformable surface model further comprises the steps of:

selecting surface elements of a plurality of surface elements of the deformable surface model which belong to a sub-part of the object;

labeling the surface elements of the plurality of surface elements of the deformable surface model such that surface elements which belong to the same sub-part have the same label.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein step (b) of integrating additional geometrical information into the deformable surface model further comprises the steps of:

selecting a geometrical primitive in accordance with a form of the sub-part; and

determining a rule which maps the geometric primitive onto the surface elements of the plurality of surface elements of the deformable surface model.

8. Image processing device, comprising:

a memory for storing a deformable model and an image depicting an object; and

an image processor for determining geometrical properties of the object, which processor performs the following operation;

(a) adapting a deformable surface model to the object;

(b) applying additional geometrical information to the adapted deformable surface model of the object; and

(c) extracting the geometric properties of the structure of the object from the adapted deformable surface model to which additional geometrical information has been applied.

9. Computer program for an image processing device in accordance with claim 8, for determining geometrical properties of an object, comprising the following steps:

(a) adapting a deformable surface model to the object;

(b) applying additional geometrical information to the adapted deformable surface model of the object; and

(c) extracting the geometric properties of the structure of the object from the adapted deformable surface model to which additional geometrical information has been applied.