Deformable regions of interest with multiple points for tissue tracking in echocardiography.
By tracking echocardiography images more accurately and stably, we can better assess myocardial functions. In this paper, we propose a new tracking method with deformable Regions of Interest (ROIs) aiming at rational pattern matching. For this purpose we defined multiple tracking points for an ROI and regarded these points as nodes in the Meshfree Method to interpolate displacement fields. To avoid unreasonable distortion of the ROI caused by noise and perturbation in echo images, we introduced a stabilization technique based on a nonlinear strain energy function. Examples showed that the combination of our new tracking method and stabilization technique provides competitive and stable tracking.
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3F, 178-4-4, Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, 277-0871, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: xkcui@sml.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Xiaoke
X
Cui
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3F, 178-4-4, Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, 277-0871, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: washio@sml.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Takumi
T
Washio
Medical Systems Engineering Division 2, Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., 3-1-1, Higashikoigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo, 185-0014, Japan. Electronic address: chou5240@hitachi-aloka.co.jp.
Tomoaki
T
Chono
Medical Systems Engineering Division 2, Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., 3-1-1, Higashikoigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo, 185-0014, Japan. Electronic address: baba5182@hitachi-aloka.co.jp.
Hirotaka
H
Baba
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3F, 178-4-4, Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, 277-0871, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: okada@sml.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Jun-Ichi
JI
Okada
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3F, 178-4-4, Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, 277-0871, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: sugiura@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Seiryo
S
Sugiura
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3F, 178-4-4, Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, 277-0871, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: hisada@mech.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Toshiaki
T
Hisada
D000465:Algorithms; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated
Database; Deformable ROI; Echocardiography tracking; Meshfree method; Multiple tracking points; Numerical phantom; Stabilization