Patent ID: 7457444
Filing Date: 2008-11-25
Classification: G06K,G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for automatic centerline extraction for an endoscopic dataset of an organ having a boundary surface, comprising: centering on selected points of an initial path through said image, derived from an endoscopy dataset, respective spheres exhibiting respective maximal diameters short of contacting said boundary surface; and forming a centered path consecutively joining centers of said spheres, wherein said step of centering said respective spheres comprises: (a) utilizing modeled spheres represented by respective polyhedra; (b) centering a modeled first sphere; (c) checking for collision between vertices of said modeled first sphere and said boundary surface; (d) in the event of a collision being detected at a point of said boundary, deriving a calculated force to move said modeled sphere away from said point of said boundary surface for ending said collision; (e) in the event of at least one of (A) no collision and (B) a collision having been ended, said modeled first sphere is enlarged until a collision is detected, whereupon step (d) is repeated until no further enlargement and no further movement of said modeled first sphere is possible without a collision being detected, then proceeding to step (f); and (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) for each remaining one of said modeled spheres and a centered path is formed by consecutively joining centers of said modeled spheres.