Simultaneous process of automated 3D registration and segmentation on medical images

We propose a novel method that deals with simultaneous process of registration among images and segmentation of image using plural images for 3 dimensional head images of different modalities in identical subject. In this method, image segmentation is performed by using the result of vector quantification (VQ) for multi-dimensional feature space distribution that describes the relation of voxel value. Registration is carried out by optimization of parameters of translation and rotation using the minimization of VQ distortion. First, we examined characteristics of feature space histogram using simplified head images. Next, we showed the usefulness of proposed method for these images. Here, we estimated the measure of VQ distortion and automated method to extract VQ centroids. Finally, an example that applied this method to T1 emphasized MR image and cbf-PET image was shown.