Methods of obtaining geometry from images

Abstract

In one aspect, a method of detecting at least on feature associated with a blood vessel in at least one image of at least one blood vessel using a matched filter adapted to respond to the at least one feature is provided. The method comprises applying a scale detection filter to selected voxels in the at least one image to determine a scale for the matched filter at each of the selected voxels, determining an orientation for the matched filter at each of the selected voxels, wherein determining the orientation is assisted by using the scale determined at each of the selected voxels, applying the matched filter at each of the selected voxels at the scale and the orientation determined at each of the selected voxels to obtain a filter response at each of the selected voxels, and analyzing the filter response at each of the selected voxels to determine if the respective voxel corresponds to the at least one feature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of linking geometry obtained from at least one image of at least one blood vessel, the geometry including a plurality of locations in the at least one image determined to be associated with voxels representing the centerline of a vessel, each of the plurality of locations having an associated orientation indicative of a direction of a centerline of the vessel and an associated filter response resulting from applying a centerline filter centered at the respective location, the method comprising:
 selecting a target location from the plurality of locations; and   comparing the target location with each other location in the plurality of locations within a predetermined neighborhood, wherein comparing includes:
 determining a distance between the target location and each of the other locations; 
 determining a difference between the orientation at the target location and the orientation at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
 determining a difference between the filter response at the target location and the filter response at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
   linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations based, at least in part, on the comparison.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein linking includes linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations that minimizes the comparison. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the distance comparison is weighted to be more significant than the difference in orientation and the difference in filter response. 
     
     
         4 . At least one computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method of linking geometry obtained from at least one image of at least one blood vessel, the geometry including a plurality of locations in the at least one image determined to be associated with voxels representing the centerline of a vessel, each of the plurality of locations having an associated orientation indicative of a direction of a centerline of the vessel and an associated filter response resulting from applying a centerline filter centered at the respective location, the method comprising:
 selecting a target location from the plurality of locations; and   comparing the target location with each other location in the plurality of locations within a predetermined neighborhood, wherein comparing includes:
 determining a distance between the target location and each of the other locations; 
 determining a difference between the orientation at the target location and the orientation at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
 determining a difference between the filter response at the target location and the filter response at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
   linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations based, at least in part, on the comparison.   
     
     
         5 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein linking includes linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations that minimizes the comparison. 
     
     
         6 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein the distance comparison is weighted to be more significant than the difference in orientation and the difference in filter response. 
     
     
         7 . A system for linking geometry obtained from at least one image of at least one blood vessel, the geometry including a plurality of locations in the at least one image determined to be associated with voxels representing the centerline of a vessel, each of the plurality of locations having an associated orientation indicative of a direction of a centerline of the vessel and an associated filter response resulting from applying a centerline filter centered at the respective location, the system comprising:
 at least one computer readable medium for storing the at least one image; and   at least one processor capable of accessing the at least one computer readable medium and configured to:
 select a target location from the plurality of locations; and 
 compare the target location with each other location in the plurality of locations within a predetermined neighborhood, wherein comparing includes:
 determining a distance between the target location and each of the other locations; 
 determining a difference between the orientation at the target location and the orientation at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
 determining a difference between the filter response at the target location and the filter response at each of the other plurality of locations; and 
 linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations based, at least in part, on the comparison. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein linking includes linking the voxel associated with the target location with the voxel associated with one of the other locations that minimizes the comparison. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the distance comparison is weighted to be more significant than the difference in orientation and the difference in filter response.