title: MITK diffusion imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffusion-MRI provides a unique window on brain anatomy and insights into aspects of tissue structure in living humans that could not be studied previously. There is a major effort in this rapidly evolving field of research to develop the algorithmic tools necessary to cope with the complexity of the datasets.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This work illustrates our strategy that encompasses the development of a modularized and open software tool for data processing, visualization and interactive exploration in diffusion imaging research and aims at reinforcing sustainable evaluation and progress in the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this paper, the usability and capabilities of a new application and toolkit component of the Medical Imaging and Interaction Toolkit (MITK, www.mitk.org), MITK-DI, are demonstrated using in-vivo datasets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MITK-DI provides a comprehensive software framework for high-performance data processing, analysis and interactive data exploration, which is designed in a modular, extensible fashion (using CTK) and in adherence to widely accepted coding standards (e.g. ITK, VTK). MITK-DI is available both as an open source software development toolkit and as a ready-to-use installable application.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The open source release of the modular MITK-DI tools will increase verifiability and comparability within the research community and will also be an important step towards bringing many of the current techniques towards clinical application.
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Research Centre, E 130 - Division of Medical and Biological Informatics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. k.fritzsche@dkfz-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Fritzsche
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Neher
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reicht
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Bruggen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reisert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nolden
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zelzer
authors.forename: H-P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Meinzer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stieltjes
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012984:Software