Patent ID: 7421122

Claim:
Method for the simultaneous segmentation of multiple or composed objects in an image, wherein a deformable surface model is to be adapted to a first surface of a first object and a second surface of a second object and wherein the deformable surface model comprises a first partial deformable surface model and a second partial deformable surface model, comprising acts of: (a) applying the first partial deformable surface model describing a structure of the first surface of the first object; (b) applying the second partial deformable surface model describing a structure of the second surface of the second object, wherein the first partial deformable surface model and the second partial deformable surface model have a prescribed spatial relationship corresponding to distances between portions of the first object and portions of the second object; and (c) adapting the first partial deformable model to the first surface and the second partial deformable model to the second surface, wherein the prescribed spatial relationship of the first partial deformable surface model and the second partial deformable surface model is used for the adaptation.