INCREMENTAL GLOBAL NON-RIGID ALIGNMENT OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCANS

摘要

Techniques are provided for incrementally aligning multiple scans of a three-dimensional subject. This can be accomplished by establishing an updated aligned set of scans as each new scan is sequentially processed and aligned with the existing scans. In such embodiments the pairwise and global alignment processes are effectively combined into a single collective alignment process. This collective alignment converges to an optimal alignment faster than the sequential pairwise alignment process that existing solutions use. The collective alignment enforces pairwise alignment between the individual scans in the aligned set of scans. This is because each scan comprising the aligned set can be aligned to the next incremental scan if any scan included in the aligned set can be aligned to the next incremental scan. The pairwise alignment between the scans comprising the aligned set is thus a known function.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for aligning multiple scans of a three-dimensional subject, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of scans, each of which characterizes a portion of the three-dimensional subject, and each of which comprises a collection of sample points; defining an initial set of correspondence maps, the initial set correlating sample points included in the plurality of scans; defining an initial set of deformation parameters that align the plurality of scans according to a plurality of deformation functions, wherein the initial set of correspondence maps and the initial set of deformation parameters collectively define an initial alignment of the plurality of scans; acquiring an incremental scan that comprises an incremental collection of sample points; and concurrently (a) updating the initial set of deformation parameters to modify the initial alignment based on the incremental scan, and (b) defining an updated set of correspondence maps, the updated set of correspondence maps correlating sample points in the plurality of scans to sample points in the incremental scan.