Semiautomated skeletonization of the pulmonary arterial tree in micro-CT images

Christopher C. Hanger; Steven T. Haworth; Robert C. Molthen; Christopher A. Dawson

doi:10.1117/12.428181

21 May 2001 Semiautomated skeletonization of the pulmonary arterial tree in micro-CT images

Christopher C. Hanger, Steven T. Haworth, Robert C. Molthen, Christopher A. Dawson

Proceedings Volume 4321, Medical Imaging 2001: Physiology and Function from Multidimensional Images; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.428181
Event: Medical Imaging 2001, 2001, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

We present a simple and robust approach that utilizes planar images at different angular rotations combined with unfiltered back-projection to locate the central axes of the pulmonary arterial tree. Three-dimensional points are selected interactively by the user. The computer calculates a sub- volume unfiltered back-projection orthogonal to the vector connecting the two points and centered on the first point. Because more x-rays are absorbed at the thickest portion of the vessel, in the unfiltered back-projection, the darkest pixel is assumed to be the center of the vessel. The computer replaces this point with the newly computer-calculated point. A second back-projection is calculated around the original point orthogonal to a vector connecting the newly-calculated first point and user-determined second point. The darkest pixel within the reconstruction is determined. The computer then replaces the second point with the XYZ coordinates of the darkest pixel within this second reconstruction. Following a vector based on a moving average of previously determined 3- dimensional points along the vessel's axis, the computer continues this skeletonization process until stopped by the user. The computer estimates the vessel diameter along the set of previously determined points using a method similar to the full width-half max algorithm. On all subsequent vessels, the process works the same way except that at each point, distances between the current point and all previously determined points along different vessels are determined. If the difference is less than the previously estimated diameter, the vessels are assumed to branch. This user/computer interaction continues until the vascular tree has been skeletonized.

Citation Download Citation

Christopher C. Hanger, Steven T. Haworth, Robert C. Molthen, and Christopher A. Dawson "Semiautomated skeletonization of the pulmonary arterial tree in micro-CT images", Proc. SPIE 4321, Medical Imaging 2001: Physiology and Function from Multidimensional Images, (21 May 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.428181

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