Abstract: An integrated system for processing and using images acquired of subjects in a research or clinical environment is provided. The integrated system includes an image and data bank, a workflow management module, a cloud storage module and a pre-processing module. The pre-processing engine is positioned between the workflow management module and the cloud storage module and is configured to receive raw images, data associated with the raw images and the data associated with the imaged subjects from the workflow management module and process this data and provide the processed data to be pushed into the cloud storage module. The pre-processing engine also anonymizes the data to provide de-identified images and data to the cloud storage module and creates a key that relates the raw images, data associated with the raw images and the data associated with the imaged subjects to the de-identified, processed images and data. The key remains separate and un-connected from the de-identified, processed images and data.

Abstract: A method for segmenting images is provided including tessellating an image obtained from one of an image database and an imaging system into a plurality of sectors; classifying each of the plurality of sectors by applying one or more pre-defined labels to each of the plurality of sectors, wherein the pre-defined labels indicate at least one of an image quality metric (IQM) and a metric of structure; assigning each of the plurality of classified sectors an Image Quality Classification (IQC); identifying anchor sectors among the plurality of classified sectors, applying filtering and edge detection to identify target boundaries; applying contouring across contiguous sectors and using the assigned IQC as a guide to complete segmentation of an edge between any two identified anchor sectors; and smoothing across segmented regions to increase parametric second-order continuity.