Abstract: A system and method are provided for integrated registration of images, the system including a processor, a first registration portion for performing rough registration of an image, a first segmentation portion for performing segmentation of an object of interest in the image, a second registration portion for performing fine registration of the image, and a second segmentation portion for performing segmentation of structures of the object of interest in the image; and the method including receiving a sequence of images, selecting an image from the sequence, cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the selected image, performing rough registration of the cropped ROI, performing segmentation of an object of interest from the rough registered ROI, performing fine registration of the ROI, and performing segmentation of structures of the object of interest from the fine registered ROI.

Abstract: An image editing system comprises an input device for inputting an image, a graphical user interface for selecting background and object seeds for the image, and an image processor for editing the image. The image processor has various editing routines, including a segmentation routine that builds a graph associated with the image and uses a graph cut algorithm to cut the graph into segments. The user marks certain pixels as “object” or “background” to provide hard constraints for segmentation. Additional soft constraints incorporate both boundary and regional information. Graph cuts are used to find the globally optimal segementation of the image. The obtained solution gives the best balance of boundary and region properties satisfying the constraints.

Abstract: A method for segmenting an object of interest from an image of a patient having such object. Each one of a plurality of training shapes is distorted to overlay a reference shape with a parameter ?i being a measure of the amount of distortion required to effect the overlay. A vector of the parameters ?i is obtained for every one of the training shapes through the minimization of a cost function along with an estimate of uncertainty for every one of the obtained vectors of parameters ?i, such uncertainty being quantified as a covariance matrix ?i. A statistical model represented as {circumflex over (ƒ)}H (?,?) is generated with the sum of kernels having a mean ?i and covariance ?i . The desired object of interest in the image of the patient is identified by positioning of the reference shape on the image and distorting the reference shape to overlay the obtained image with a parameter ? being a measure of the amount of distortion required to effect the overlay.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method, which can comprise automatically determining a probability that an entity belongs to a representation set. The representation set can be associated with a set of vectors of parameters and associated covariance matrices. Each covariance matrix can be associated with uncertainties of values comprised in the vector of parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for extracting an object of interest from an image using a robust active shape model are provided. A method for extracting an object of interest from an image comprises: generating an active shape model of the object; extracting feature points from the image; and determining an affine transformation and shape parameters of the active shape model to minimize an energy function of a distance between a transformed and deformed model of the object and the feature points.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of segmenting one or more objects from one or more backgrounds in an image, the method comprising defining a plurality of image nodes, each said image node corresponding to one or more pixels of said image, connecting pairs of adjacent nodes with n-links, each said n-link weighted with an n-link cost, defining a source node, defining a sink node, defining one or more object seeds, said object seeds corresponding to image nodes within said objects, defining one or more background seeds, said background seeds corresponding to image nodes within said backgrounds, connecting said source node with each said object seed with a plurality of t-links, connecting said sink node with each said background seed with a plurality of t-links, wherein each said t-links is weighted with a t-link cost, and calculating a segmentation cut having the smallest total cost of all cuts separating said source from said sink, wherein said total cost of each said cut is defined as the sum of the costs of all said n-

Abstract: A method for segmenting a portion of a clip is provided. A first active-shape model of the portion is creating in a first state. A second active-shape model of the portion is created in a second state. A combined model for segmenting the portion is generated. The combined model is a linear combination of the first active-shape model and the second active-shape model. An apparatus for segmenting a portion of a clip is further provided. The apparatus includes a modeling means, a first linear combination means, a transformation means, a second linear combination means, and a segmentation means.

Abstract: A method is provided for segmenting a magnetic resonance image of interest of a left ventricle. The method includes determining a myocardium contour according to a graph cut of candidate endocardium contours, and a spline fitting to candidate epicardium contours in the absence of shape propagation. The method further includes applying a plurality of shape constraints to candidate endocardium contours and candidate epicardium contours to determine the myocardium contour, wherein a template is determined by shape propagation of a plurality of magnetic resonance images in a sequence including the magnetic resonance image of interest in the presence of shape propagation.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for contrast-invariant registration of images, the system including a processor, an imaging adapter or a communications adapter for receiving an image data sequence, a user interface adapter for selecting a reference frame from the image sequence or cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the reference frame, a tracking unit for tracking the ROI across the image sequence, and an estimation unit for segmenting the ROI in the reference frame or performing an affine registration for the ROI; and the method including receiving an image sequence, selecting a reference frame from the image sequence, cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the reference frame, tracking the ROI across the image sequence, segmenting the ROI in the reference frame, and performing an affine registration for the ROI.

Abstract: A method is provided for segmenting an image of interest of a left ventricle. The method includes determining a myocardium contour according to a graph cut of candidate endocardium contours, and a spline fitting to candidate epicardium contours in the absence of shape propagation. The method further includes applying a plurality of shape constraints to candidate endocardium contours and candidate epicardium contours to determine the myocardium contour, wherein a template is determined by shape propagation of a plurality of images in a sequence including the image of interest in the presence of shape propagation.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for integrated registration of images, the system including a processor, a first registration portion for performing rough registration of an image, a first segmentation portion for performing segmentation of an object of interest in the image, a second registration portion for performing fine registration of the image, and a second segmentation portion for performing segmentation of structures of the object of interest in the image; and the method including receiving a sequence of images, selecting an image from the sequence, cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the selected image, performing rough registration of the cropped ROI, performing segmentation of an object of interest from the rough registered ROI, performing fine registration of the ROI, and performing segmentation of structures of the object of interest from the fine registered ROI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system of modeling a three dimensional target object which is represented by a plurality of cross-sectional images in order to provide a representative corresponding three dimensional model. The invention selects an initial model from a plurality of available initial models. This selection involves identifying an initial model based on physical similarity to the target object and then superimposing an initial model upon the target object, for each of the plurality of cross-sectional images. A determination is then made of an intersection contour of the initial model and a cross-sectional image of the target object and the determined intersection contour is refined in order to more closely delineate the target object. By sub-sampling points which represent the refined determined intersection contour, the invention obtains a sub-sampled contour dataset.

Abstract: A method is provided for segmenting a magnetic resonance image of interest of a left ventricle. The method includes determining a myocardium contour according to a graph cut of candidate endocardium contours, and a spline fitting to candidate epicardium contours in the absence of shape propagation. The method further includes applying a plurality of shape constraints to candidate endocardium contours and candidate epicardium contours to determine the myocardium contour, wherein a template is determined by shape propagation of a plurality of magnetic resonance images in a sequence including the magnetic resonance image of interest in the presence of shape propagation.

Abstract: An automated method for detection of an object of interest in magnetic resonance (MR) two-dimensional (2-D) images wherein the images comprise gray level patterns, the method includes a learning stage utilizing a set of positive/negative training samples drawn from a specified feature space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system of modeling a three dimensional target object which is represented by a plurality of cross-sectional images in order to provide a representative corresponding three dimensional model. The invention selects an initial model from a plurality of available initial models. This selection involves identifying an initial model based on physical similarity to the target object and then superimposing an initial model upon the target object, for each of the plurality of cross-sectional images. A determination is then made of an intersection contour of the initial model and a cross-sectional image of the target object and the determined intersection contour is refined in order to more closely delineate the target object. By sub-sampling points which represent the refined determined intersection contour, the invention obtains a sub-sampled contour dataset.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of segmenting one or more objects from one or more backgrounds in an image, the method comprising defining a plurality of image nodes, each said image node corresponding to one or more pixels of said image, connecting pairs of adjacent nodes with n-links, each said n-link weighted with an n-link cost, defining a source node, defining a sink node, defining one or more object seeds, said object seeds corresponding to image nodes within said objects, defining one or more background seeds, said background seeds corresponding to image nodes within said backgrounds, connecting said source node with each said object seed with a plurality of t-links, connecting said sink node with each said background seed with a plurality of t-links, wherein each said t-links is weighted with a t-link cost, and calculating a segmentation cut having the smallest total cost of all cuts separating said source from said sink, wherein said total cost of each said cut is defined as the sum of the costs of all said n-

Abstract: A technique of tracking an object of interest in a sequence of images using active polyline contours. An image processor converts a sequence of images into digital image data related to light intensity at the pixels of each image. A computer stores the digital image data and forms an initial polyline that substantially outlines an edge of the object in a first image. The computer forms input polylines for each of the subsequent images which substantially outline the edge in the corresponding images and are derived from the optimal polyline of each previous such image. The computer processes the digital image data, performing a graph exploration procedure that starts with the initial polyline in the first image and the input polylines in the subsequent images. The graph exploration procedure searches polylines in a predefined search space to find the corresponding optimal polylines.

Abstract: A method of modeling a structure comprises the steps of initializing a parametric component of a hybrid model from a volumetric image, the volumetric image comprising image planes, creating starting points for two dimensional segmentations at intersections between the parametric component and the image planes, segmenting a boundary of the structure by applying active contours, sampling the active contours to create a dataset and parametrically and locally fitting the hybrid model to the dataset to represent the structure.

Abstract: Steel chemical composition of which contains, by weight: 0.1%.ltoreq.C.ltoreq.0.4%; 1%.ltoreq.Mn.ltoreq.1.8%; 0.15%.ltoreq.Si.ltoreq.1.7%; 0%.ltoreq.Ni.ltoreq.1%; 0%.ltoreq.Cr.ltoreq.1.2%; 0%.ltoreq.Mo.ltoreq.0.3%; 0%.ltoreq.V.ltoreq.0.3%; Cu.ltoreq.0.35%; optionally from 0.005% to 0.06% of aluminum, optionally boron in contents of between 0.0005% and 0.01%, optionally between 0.005% and 0.03% of titanium, optionally between 0.005% and 0.06% of niobium, optionally from 0.005% to 0.1% of sulfur, optionally up to 0.007% of calcium, optionally up to 0.03% of tellurium, optionally up to 0.05% of selenium, optionally up to 0.05% of bismuth, optionally up to 0.1% of lead, the balance being iron and impurities resulting from smelting. Process for the manufacture of a forging.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabricating a piece of structural steel that includes thermal or thermomechanical treatment steps that could ordinarily lower the fatigue strength and shock and impact resistance of the steel piece. In the method of the invention a workpiece of microalloy steel is fabricated containing the following elements in the mounts indicated and having a bainitic structure:______________________________________ C 0.05-0.5 wt. % Mo 0-0.5 wt. % Mn 1-2 wt. % V 0-0.30 wt. % Si 0.05-1.5 wt. % B 0-0.010 wt. % Cr 0.1-1 wt. % Ti 0-0.030 wt. % Nb 0-0.1 wt. % ______________________________________The workpiece is then subjected to a treatment that includes a heating stage wherein at least a part of said piece is subjected to a temperature in the range 500.degree.-900.degree. C., followed by a cooling stage in which at least the part of the piece is subjected to cooling at a rate greater than 500.degree. C./hr.