title: Topology correction of segmented medical images using a fast marching algorithm.
abstract: We present here a new method for correcting the topology of objects segmented from medical images. Whereas previous techniques alter a surface obtained from a binary segmentation of the object, our technique can be applied directly to the image intensities of a probabilistic or fuzzy segmentation, thereby propagating the topology for all isosurfaces of the object. From an analysis of topological changes and critical points in implicit surfaces, we derive a topology propagation algorithm that enforces any desired topology using a fast marching technique. The method has been applied successfully to the correction of the cortical gray matter/white matter interface in segmented brain images and is publicly released as a software plug-in for the MIPAV package.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Image Computing, Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. pbazin1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Pierre-Louis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bazin
authors.forename: Dzung L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pham
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011859:Radiography; D014481:United States