Abstract: To date, MRI-SPAMM data from different image slices have been analyzed independently. In this paper, we propose an approach for 3D tag localization and tracking of SPAMM data by a novel deformable B-solid. The solid is defined in terms of a 3D tensor product B-spline. The isoparametric curves of the B-spline solid have special importance. These are termed implicit snakes as they deform under image forces from tag lines in different image slices. The localization and tracking of tag lines is performed under constraints of continuity and smoothness of the B-solid. The framework unifies the problems of localization, and displacement fitting and interpolation into the same procedure utilizing B-spline bases for interpolation. To track motion from boundaries and restrict image forces to the myocardium, a volumetric model is employed as a pair of coupled endocardial and epicardial B-spline surfaces. To recover deformations in the LV an energy-minimization problem is posed where both tag and ...

Abstract: Medical imaging is very useful in the assessment and treatment of many diseases. To deal with the great amount of data provided by imaging scanners and extract quantitative information that physicians can interpret, many analysis algorithms have been developed. Any process of analysis always consists of a first step of segmenting some particular structure. In medical imaging, structures are not always well defined and suffer from noise artifacts thus, ordinary segmentation methods are not well suited. The ones that seem to give better results are those based on deformable models. Nevertheless, despite their capability of mixing image features together with smoothness constraints that may compensate for image irregularities, these are naturally local methods, i. e., each node of the active contour evolve taking into account information about its neighbors and some other weak constraints about flexibility and smoothness, but not about the global shape that they should find. Due to the fact that structures to be segmented are the same for all cases but with some inter and intra-patient variation, the incorporation of a priori knowledge about shape in the segmentation method will provide robustness to it. Active Shape Models is an algorithm based on the creation of a shape model called Point Distribution Model. It performs a segmentation using only shapes similar than those previously learned from a training set that capture most of the variation presented by the structure. This algorithm works by updating shape nodes along a normal segment which often can be too restrictive. For this reason we propose a generalization of this algorithm that we call Generalized Active Shape Models and fully integrates the a priori knowledge given by the Point Distribution Model with deformable models or any other appropriate segmentation method. Two different applications to cardiac imaging of this generalized method are developed and promising results are shown.

Abstract: Endoscopy is the process in which a camera is introduced inside a human.
Given that endoscopy provides realistic images (in contrast to other modalities) and allows non-invase minimal intervention procedures (which can aid in diagnosis and surgical interventions), its use has spreaded during last decades.
In this project we will focus on bronchoscopic procedures, during which the camera is introduced through the trachea in order to have a diagnostic of the patient. The diagnostic interventions are focused on: degree of stenosis (reduction in tracheal area), prosthesis or early diagnosis of tumors. In the first case, assessment of the luminal area and the calculation of the diameters of the tracheal rings are required. A main limitation is that all the process is done by hand,
which means that the doctor takes all the measurements and decisions just by looking at the screen. As far as we know there is no computational framework for helping the doctors in the diagnosis.
This project will consist of analysing bronchoscopic videos in order to extract useful information for the diagnostic of the degree of stenosis. In particular we will focus on segmentation of the tracheal rings. As a result of this project several strategies (for detecting tracheal rings) had been implemented in order to compare their performance.