This paper proposes a prior shape segmentation method to create a constant-width ribbon-like zone that runs along the boundary to be extracted. The image data corresponding to that zone is transformed into a rectangular image subspace where the boundary is roughly straightened. Every step of the segmentation process is then applied to that straightened subspace image where the final extracted boundary is transformed back into the original image space. This approach has the advantage of producing very efficient filtering and edge detection using conventional techniques. The final boundary is continuous even over image regions where partial information is missing. The technique was applied to the femoral head segmentation where we show that the final segmented boundary is very similar to the one obtained manually by a trained orthopedist and has low sensitivity to the initial positioning of the prior shape.

Date Published: 27 March 2009
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 7259, Medical Imaging 2009: Image Processing, 72594Y (27 March 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.812459

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7259:
Medical Imaging 2009: Image Processing
Josien P. W. Pluim; Benoit M. Dawant, Editor(s)