METHOD FOR SEGMENTATION OF DIGITAL IMAGES

摘要

The invention relates to a computationally efficient method for the automated detection of intensity transitions in 2D or 3D image data. Contrasting boundaries in the image are indicated as global or local maxima of a gradient integral function, which is calculated by applying a Laplace operator to the intensity values of each pixel or voxel of the image data set. Only one pass through the image data set is required if the gradient integral function is computed by means of a cumulative histogram technique. The detected intensity thresholds can advantageously be employed for the specification of rendering parameters for visualization purposes. The method of the invention is also well-suited for the rendering and measurement of lung nodules, as the detection of correct intensity thresholds turns out to be crucial for the reproducible and consistent interpretation of medical image data.