Patent ID: 7672493

Claim:
A method for analyzing a medical image generated from data obtained from medical imaging equipment, comprising: using medical imaging apparatus to perform the steps of: obtaining from the data a plurality of surface fronts on an image of an object obtained from the data, such surface fronts being disposed in a three dimensional volume in the object; evolving each one of the surface fronts to form a common enclosed volume; and terminating the process when the common enclosed volume reaches boundaries of the object and; wherein the obtaining step comprises: (a) obtaining the data in a plane traverse an anatomical object; (b) identifying a point disposed on the object in the plane; (c) detecting contour points of the object in the plane from the identified point; (d) analyzing the obtained contour points to predict a subsequent point on the object and a tracing direction, such tracing direction being along the length of the object; and (e) determining a subsequent plane transverse the object, such predicted point being in the subsequent plane; establishing a predetermined criteria; and repeating (a) through (e) the process until the predetermined criterion is satisfied.