Automatic registration of image pairs of medical image data sets

摘要

In a method, device and storage medium encoded with programming instructions for automatic image registration of image data of a current medical image MR study and at least one reference study, corresponding image pairs of the current study and the reference study are formed automatically with an association machine without needing the analyze the respective image data or pixel data. The pair determination takes place exclusively on the basis of the DICOM header data. A synchronized image processing and/or presentation of the generated image pairs takes place at a monitor.

主权项

1. A computerized device for automatic registration of image data of a medical image study, acquired with a medical imaging modality, and image data of at least one reference study, each of said medical image study and said at least one reference study comprising a plurality of series with each series comprising a plurality of image data sets, and each image data set having image position coordinates and a DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) header associated therewith, and each of said series being stored in at least one data memory, said device comprising:
a cluster module configured to import image data of all series of at least said medical image study into said cluster module from said at least one data memory, and to automatically cluster said image data sets according to cluster criteria based exclusively on at least one of said image position coordinates and attributes of said DICOM header, thereby producing generated clusters, and to store said generated clusters; a master generation unit configured to determine a master for all of the generated clusters; a pair determination unit configured to automatically register the image data of said medical image study with said image data of said at least one reference study; a registration unit configured to generate registered pairs among said data sets of said medical image study and said reference study by implementing a similarity measurement for each master from said medical image study by searching for at least one reference study that satisfies predetermined similarity conditions, or a search for a similar reference master of the reference study; and a monitor in communication with said registration unit, said registration unit being configured to cause said registered pairs to be displayed at said monitor.