Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for segmenting an object comprising sub-objects shown in an object image. The apparatus comprises a feature image generation unit (2) for generating a feature image showing features related to intermediate regions between the sub-objects and a segmentation unit (3) for segmenting the sub-objects by using the object image and the feature image. Preferentially, the feature image generation unit (2) is adapted for generating a feature image from the object image. In a further embodiment, the feature image generation unit (2) comprises a feature enhancing unit for enhancing features related to intermediate regions between the sub-objects in the object image.

Abstract: An automated method (1) for the automatic extraction of a pulmonary vessel tree from a 3D medical image, such as multi-slice CT data, is disclosed. A segmented pulmonary vessel is identified as either an artery or a vein by determining a measure for arterialness for the vessel. The measure is based on a relation of the orientation of a local bronchus to the orientation of the segmented pulmonary vessel of the local bronchus. When a vessel is identified as a pulmonary artery, it is added to the pulmonary artery tree. Radii of the pulmonary artery and bronchus are measured automatically and positions where a ratio of these radii exhibits unusual values are presented in a display, preferably for suggesting further assessment by a radiologist, which for instance is useful for pulmonary embolism detection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interactively manipulating a shape of an object, comprising selecting an object to be manipulated and rendering the object in dependence of a manipulation type. The method provides a smart object adapted interaction, manipulation and visualization scheme in contrast to previous display driven schemes. The method allows efficient shape manipulation by restricting the degrees of freedom for the manipulation to the meaningful ones for a given object or object part, thus allowing to reduce e.g. a 3D interaction to a 2D interaction.

Abstract: A point-based elastic registration method for registering a first image and a second image. Initially, a single control point is randomly placed (S2) with the source image region and optimal parameter settings in respect thereof are determined (S3) for performing elastic deformation (S4) in respect of the first image so as to optimise a similarity measure. Additional control points are then added (S6) one-by-one, and the elastic deformation process repeated each time (S8) in respect of the new control point set, until a predetermined stopping criterion is met, e.g. the resultant improvement in the similarity measure no longer exceeds some predetermined threshold value. Thus, a high speed, high quality registration method is provided without having to specify the number of control points initially.

Abstract: An imaging method for identifying abnormal tissue in the lung is provided, comprising the recording of slice images of the lung by means of X-ray radiation, recording of blood vessels, differentiation of blood vessels and abnormal tissue, segmentation of the abnormal tissue and display of the segmented abnormal tissue on an output device. In addition, a computer tomograph for identifying abnormal tissue in the lung is provided, having a radiation source for recording slice images of the lung and blood vessels by means of X-ray radiation, a computer unit for differentiating the blood vessels from the abnormal tissue and for segmenting the abnormal tissue, as well as an output device for displaying the segmented abnormal tissue.

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