Patent ID: 7643663

Claim:
A method performed by an image processing device for determining a volume of an object from three-dimensional volume data including graphic information units, comprising: using the image processing device to perform steps comprising: determining a volume of interest including the object; determining thresholds of the graphic information units in the volume of interest; performing a distance transform on a basis of the thresholds for determining a distance map consisting of voxels; providing a seed point in the distance map, which seed point is on the object; determining a number of core-voxels and a number of front-voxels by using the seed point; and determining the volume of the object on a basis of the number of core-voxels and the number of front-voxels, wherein at least one of the determination of the number of core-voxels and the number of front-voxels is performed by a downhill expansion of the voxels, and wherein the voxels are immediately expanded as long as a growth is directed downwards in a relief of the distance map such that a growth speed is varying.