Patent ID: 8265354
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of aligning by a processor of a plurality of volumes from a patient, comprising: reading by the processor of the plurality of volumes being Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) volumes in DICOM format and correcting at least one of the plurality of volumes for shearing based on a tilt angle obtained from a DICOM header; equalizing the plurality of volumes with the highest resolution of the plurality of volumes; detecting edges in a plurality of 2D slices of a first volume of the plurality of volumes within a search range and a plurality of 2D slices of a second volume of the plurality of volumes within the search range to form a first and a second plurality of edge maps, respectively, the first and second edge maps having an overlap region wherein the overlap region depends upon the search range; designating the first plurality of edge maps as a fixed image I designating the second plurality of edge maps as a moving image I determining the search range based on a shift in a horizontal, vertical and depth direction of a parameter, the parameter determined from at least a relative table position and an image position; and determining a correlation of the first plurality of edge maps to the second plurality of edge maps at a plurality of overlapping positions in the overlap region O containing the location p for all 2D slices in the overlap region of the first and the second volume to determine a best alignment of the first volume and the second volume.