Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and a corresponding image processing method for processing medical image data showing at least two image objects, including a segmentation unit for detection and/or segmentation of image objects in said image data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and a corresponding image processing method for processing a multi-dimensional data set of image data, in particular of three-dimensional medical volume image data, including a segmentation unit (6, 16, 26) for a segmentation of an image object in said data set. Further, the present invention relates to a computer program for implementing said image processing method on a computer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of segmenting a surface in a multi dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of images. In accordance with the method of the invention, at step 4 shape parameters and topology parameters for the object under consideration are acquired. Preferably that the multi-dimensional data set imaging the object is acquired at an acquisition step 1 and is subsequently stored in a computer-readable file 2. At step 5 the default shape parameters and topology parameters of a suitable segmentation algorithm 3 based on a deformable model are adapted with the value of the actual shape parameters and the topology parameters 4 for the given object. Subsequently, at step 6 the images constituting the multi-dimensional dataset are segmented using deformable model algorithm 6a with the adapted shape parameters and the adapted topology parameters yielding respective portions of the sought surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to automatically segmenting and displaying the tracheobronchial tree (400) and displaying clinical values (404) related to the segmented tracheobronchial tree (400).

Abstract: The semi-automatic extraction and delineation of the cardiac region of interest in computer tomographic angiography images is time consuming and requires an experienced operator. According to the present invention, a completely automatic delineation and extraction of the CROI is provided, wherein the chest wall is detected and the region where the CROI is attached to the chest wall. Then, the descending aorta is detected. After that a circular initialization of a closed contour around a part of the CROI is performed, which is optimized in a subsequent step. Then, a propagation is performed through all slices of the CTA image, where the preceding contour of the preceding slice image is used for an actual contour optimization in the actual slice image. Advantageously, a fully automatic delineation and extraction of the CROI is provided within very short time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of defining a surface or a volume in a three-dimensional, and in particular medical, data set. At least two starting lines (11, 13), which preferably lie in mutually perpendicular planes and intersect one another, having been preset, contour lines (31) that lie between the starting lines (11, 13) are determined by Fourier transformation. These contour lines (31) form a surface structure (63) from which a surface can be determined by polygonization, e.g. by triangulation. If the starting lines are closed, the surface too is closed and defines a volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the interactive segmentation of a structure contained in an object from a three-dimensional image of the object. In an expansion mode a region expansion process is carried out, the results of said process simply being completely or partly undone again in a contraction mode. A quasi-continuous similarity measure can be used to determine whether or not a voxel belongs to the structure to be segmented. The expansion taking place in the region expansion process always involves the voxels having the largest similarity measure each time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a patient data processing system as well as to a corresponding method for the protocol-driven processing of patient data.