Non-Uniform Deformable Volumetric Objects for Medical Organ Segmentation and Registration

Abstract

In medical imaging, large amounts of data are created during each patient examination, especially using 3-dimensional image acquisition techniques such as Computed Tomography. This data becomes more and more difficult to handle by humans without the aid of automated or semi-automated image processing means and analysis. Particularly, the manual segmentation of target structures in 3D image data is one of the most time consuming tasks for the physician in the context of using computerized medical applications. In addition, 3D image data increases the difficulty of mentally comparing two different images of the same structure. Robust automated organ segmentation and registration methods are therefore needed in order to fully utilize the potentials of modern medical imaging.