title: Fusion of multi-planar images for improved three-dimensional object reconstruction.
abstract: Due to the scan time limitation, our MRI studies of the human tongue can acquire only a limited number of contiguous two-dimensional (2D) slices to form a volumetric data set in a given series. An interpolated three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction using images acquired in a single plane presents artifacts. To address this issue, we developed a wavelet-based bidirectional linear fusion method that uses slices acquired from sagittal and coronal planes to estimate the unknown values of the inter-slice voxels. We use an interpolation method to estimate the voxel value based on neighboring fiducial voxels in the bounding slices. This interpolation is followed by a wavelet fusion to recover image details by integrating prominent coefficients from the interpolated images. Our method was evaluated using 2D MR images and 3D phantoms. Experiments demonstrated that our method reduces interpolation artifacts and greatly improves the 3D reconstruction accuracy. The advantage of our method casts new light on MR imaging and image processing and permits us to achieve high resolution and short acquisition time simultaneously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76210, USA. xiaohui.yuan@unt.edu
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*