title: Radio frequency ablation registration, segmentation, and fusion tool.
abstract: The radio frequency ablation segmentation tool (RFAST) is a software application developed using the National Institutes of Health's medical image processing analysis and visualization (MIPAV) API for the specific purpose of assisting physicians in the planning of radio frequency ablation (RFA) procedures. The RFAST application sequentially leads the physician through the steps necessary to register, fuse, segment, visualize, and plan the RFA treatment. Three-dimensional volume visualization of the CT dataset with segmented three dimensional (3-D) surface models enables the physician to interactively position the ablation probe to simulate burns and to semimanually simulate sphere packing in an attempt to optimize probe placement. This paper describes software systems contained in RFAST to address the needs of clinicians in planning, evaluating, and simulating RFA treatments of malignant hepatic tissue.
authors.affiliation: Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. mccreedy@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Evan S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: McCreedy
authors.forename: Ruida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Hemler
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.forename: Bradford J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface