Patent ID: 8582883
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A system for segmenting a plurality of objects in image data using simultaneous model-based image segmentation, the system comprising: a pre-positioning unit, executed by a microprocessor, for pre-positioning a first mesh for segmenting a first object of the plurality of objects, thereby initializing a first mesh current position, and for pre-positioning a second mesh for segmenting a second object of the plurality of objects, thereby initializing a second mesh current position; a connection unit, executed by the microprocessor, for defining a plurality of connecting edges for connecting first end vertices to second end vertices, wherein the first and second end vertices are selected from vertices of the first and second mesh, respectively; a feature unit, executed by the microprocessor, for identifying first features in the image data for computing an external energy of the first mesh on the basis of the first mesh current position, and for identifying second features in the image data for computing an external energy of the second mesh on the basis of the second mesh current position; a transformation unit, executed by the microprocessor, for computing a first transformation which best aligns the first mesh in the first mesh current position with the pre-positioned first mesh for computing an internal energy of the first mesh, and for computing a second transformation which best aligns the second mesh in the second mesh current position with the pre-positioned second mesh for computing an internal energy of the second mesh; an adaptation unit, executed by the microprocessor, for updating the first and second mesh current position by varying current positions of vertices of the first and second mesh to minimize a weighted sum of at least the external energy and the internal energy of the first and second mesh and a connection energy, wherein the connection energy is computed based on the plurality of connecting edges in a configuration determined based on the first and second mesh current position and on the plurality of connecting edges in a reference configuration defined by the pre-positioned first and second mesh; a control unit, executed by the microprocessor, for evaluating a convergence condition dependent at least on the minimized weighted sum or on the updated position of the first and second mesh, and further for terminating segmenting the plurality of objects in the image data if the condition is satisfied and for continuing segmenting the plurality of objects in the image data if the condition is not satisfied; and wherein each contribution E wherein v i is a vector perpendicular to a first plane and a second plane, wherein the first plane and the second plane are parallel, wherein the first plane is defined by a first set of vertices of first mesh M k connected to a second set of vertices of second mesh M j , wherein the second plane is defined by the first set of vertices of the first mesh M j connected to the second set of vertices of the second mesh M k , the vector going from the first plane through a set of first points of M k to the second plane through a second set of points of M j , wherein d i is a minimal distance of each of a plurality of connecting edges of the first plane and the second plane.