Showing papers by "Ivo Wolf published in 2004"

The medical imaging interaction toolkit (MITK): a toolkit facilitating the creation of interactive software by extending VTK and ITK

Abstract: The aim of the Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK) is to facilitate the creation of clinically usable image-based software. Clinically usable software for image-guided procedures and image analysis require a high degree of interaction to verify and, if necessary, correct results from (semi-)automatic algorithms. MITK is a class library basing on and extending the Insight Toolkit (ITK) and the Visualization Toolkit (VTK). ITK provides leading-edge registration and segmentation algorithms and forms the algorithmic basis. VTK has powerful visualization capabilities, but only low-level support for interaction (like picking methods, rotation, movement and scaling of objects). MITK adds support for high level interactions with data like, for example, the interactive construction and modification of data objects. This includes concepts for interactions with multiple states as well as undo-capabilities. Furthermore, VTK is designed to create one kind of view on the data (either one 2D visualization or a 3D visualization). MITK facilitates the realization of multiple, different views on the same data (like multiple, multiplanar reconstructions and a 3D rendering). Hierarchically structured combinations of any number and type of data objects (image, surface, vessels, etc.) are possible. MITK can handle 3D+t data, which are required for several important medical applications, whereas VTK alone supports only 2D and 3D data. The benefit of MITK is that it supplements those features to ITK and VTK that are required for convenient to use, interactive and by that clinically usable image-based software, and that are outside the scope of both. MITK will be made open-source (http://www.mitk.org).

Semiautomatic 3D-segmentation of live-3D echocardiographic images

Abstract: This paper presents a new segmentation tool for live-3D echocardiographic images. It is based on a discrete three-dimensional deformable model. The model deformation scheme was extended by an interactive force component which allows to take advantage of the accuracy of user driven segmentation tools. Various interaction schemes were implemented to allow for interactive correction of the deformable model's development. By directly incorporating the user defined attractors into the deformable model, the deformation process is accelerated and model parametrization is simplified. The user can draw points and/or contours into the image data instead of adjusting model parameters. The new tool was successfully used for segmentation of both left (LV) and right ventricles (RV) from LiveSD echocardiographic images. The approach is not limited to ultrasound data and was experimentally applied to 3D-CT and MRI data as well.