Robust rigid registration of retinal angiograms through optimization

Retinal fundus photographs are employed as standard diagnostic tools in ophthalmology. Serial photographs of the flow of fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) dye are used to determine the areas of the retinal lesions. For objective measurements of features, the registration of the images is a necessity. In this paper, we employ optimization techniques for registration with the help of 2-parameter translational motion model of retinal angiograms, based on non-linear pre-processing (Wiener filtering and morphological gradient) and computation of the similarity criteria for the alignment of the two gradient images for any given rigid transformation. The optimization methods are effectively employed to minimize the similarity criterion.

The presence of noise, the variations in the background and the temporal variation of the fluorescence level pose serious problems in obtaining a robust registration of the retinal images. Moreover, local search strategies are not robust in the case of ICG angiograms, even if one uses a multiresolution approach.

The present work makes a systematic comparison of different optimization techniques, namely the minimization method derived from the optical flow formulation, the Nelder-Mead local search and the HCIAC ant colony metaheuristic, each optimizing a similarity criterion for the gradient images. The impact of the resolution and median filtering of gradient image is studied and the robustness of the approaches is tested through experimental studies, performed on macular fluorescein and ICG angiographies.

Our proposed optimization techniques have shown interesting results especially for high resolution difficult registration problems. Moreover, this approach seems promising for affine (6-parameter motion model) or elastical registrations.     

Location and geometric description of carpal bones in CT images

The carpal regions of ten cadaver extremities were imaged by CT. The images were combined into a 3-dimensional model of the carpus using a technique based on a dynamic programming algorithm to find an optimal estimate of the location of the bone boundaries in the CT images. The resulting set of surface points on each bone was used to compute volumes and principal and antipodal axes for the bones. A spatial coordinate system was established based on the positions of the centroids of three bones in the distal carpal row. The angular orientations of all carpal bones were determined with respect to this system. The principal axes for the same bone among ten wrist specimens proved to be more widely dispersed than the antipodal axes for the same bones. The antipodal axes also correspond more closely to an intuitive notion of the “longest axis” of the bones. We conclude that the antipodal axis is a more reliable and useful measure of bone orientation than the principal axis.     

Phase-constrained data extrapolation method for reduction of truncation artifacts

The authors present an improvement to a sigma-filter extrapolation method for the reconstruction of magnetic resonance (MR) images from symmetric discrete Fourier data. By making use of the phase information in the image data, the proposed method can overcome the data inconsistency problem of the original method for handling MR image data with large phase variations, such as those obtained in gradient-echo pulse sequences. Reconstruction results show that its performance is comparable with that of the modified complex sigma-filter method proposed previously to handle the inconsistency problem. However, the new approach has the advantage of reducing computation time by a factor of two with use of a sigma filter applied to real instead of complex images. It is expected that this method will be more practical for use in clinical MR imaging systems.     

Le Fort型骨折的CT表现和分型

目的探讨Le Fort型骨折的CT表现及其分型。方法对62例Le Fort型骨折患者进行薄层螺旋CT扫描和三维重组分析。结果在62例中，Le FortⅠ型10例，Ⅱ型9例，Ⅲ型8例，复合型35例（其中Ⅰ＋Ⅱ型18例，I＋Ⅱ＋Ⅲ型7例，Ⅱ＋Ⅲ型10例）；55例同时伴发颌面部其他骨折。Le Fort型骨折在二维CT上表现为颌面部多发且杂乱的骨折，虽然在发现细小和深部结构的骨折方面优于三维CT成像，但难以作出Le Fort型骨折的诊断；三维CT成像能清晰立体地显示Le Fort型骨折的整体形状及走向，并可明确作出分型。结论三维CT成像是Le Fort型骨折最有效的诊断方法，对临床制定治疗方案具有指导意义，但是对细小骨折诊断不如二维CT。     

Validation of silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions for evaluation of invasive character of urinary bladder carcinoma in rats and mice

A series of 8 rat and 16 mouse invasive bladder carcinomas were investigated for the presence of silverstained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) to clarify whether this parameter is applicable to the estimation of their invasive character. With regard to number of AgNORs per cell, neither rat nor mouse carcinomas showed any difference between invasive and noninvasive sites within the same tumor. However, the frequency of cancer cells bearing bizarre dots, irregular in size and shape, was significantly higher at sites of actual invasion. Quantitative data generated using an image analyzer revealed significantly lower values for NOR roundness and significantly larger NOR size in invasive sites than in noninvasive sites in all groups. Double staining for the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and AgNORs was performed on eight rat carcinomas and a close correlation between the two was confirmed. Thus the number of AgNORs in PCNA-positive cells was significantly greater than in PCNA-negative cells. Furthermore, a particularly strong correlation was observed for incidences of PCNA-positive cells and bizarre dots (P<0.01). The quantitative data also demonstrated significant differences in size and shape of dots. It is concluded that AgNORs have diagnostic value for the invasive character of bladder carcinomas.     

关注IHE关键影像标记在PACS中的应用

关键影像标记通过指定一组事务处理的定义,将影像检查序列中一帧或多帧关键影像与其对应的注释信息进行关联。本文对该集成模型的角色、事务处理以及相关的DICOM内容进行了分析。     

不同类型正常乳腺表观扩散系数值差异的研究

目的 研究不同类型正常乳腺表观扩散系数（ADC）值的差异，探讨ADC值与组织学分型之间的关系。方法 采用单次激发平面回波（EPI）技术，扩散敏感因子（b）值分别为0、500、1000s／mm^2，对62个正常乳腺（包括42例乳腺病变患者的对侧正常乳腺及10名健康志愿者20个乳腺）进行MR扫描及MR扩散加权成像（DWI）检查，计算62个正常乳腺分别在不同b值时的ADC值。将62个正常乳腺分为3型，比较3型之间ADC值的差异及不同b值时ADC值的差异。结果 42例乳腺病变患者对侧正常乳腺的DWI及ADC图与组织切片对比，不同类型乳腺组织学结构不同，其DWI及ADC图表现亦有差异。62个正常乳腺分为致密型10个，分叶斑点型42个及退化型10个。致密型和分叶斑点型乳腺随b值降低ADC值升高，而退化型乳腺随b值降低ADC值变化不明显。b=1000—0s／mm^2时，致密型、分叶斑点型、退化型乳腺ADC值分别为（1．70±0．37）、（1．93±0．46）、（1．18±0．65）×10^-3mm^2／s，3组间比较差异有统计学意义（F=12．998，P=0．000）。不同b值时每2种类型间进行单因素方差分析，致密型和分叶斑点型之间差异无统计学意义（F=2．167，P=0．147）；致密型和退化型之间、分叶斑点型和退化型之间差异均有统计学意义（F值分别为5．593、19．128，P值分别为0．029、0．000）。结论 3型正常乳腺ADC值受乳腺组织学结构的影响，致密型和分叶斑点型乳腺ADC值受b值高低的影响。     

Development of a simple image viewer designed for small X-ray field CT equipment 3DX

Objectives To develop a simple image viewer that utilizes image files in general-purpose formats that are written from the original 3DX volume data. Methods We used FLASH MX2004 for Macintosh to develop a simple image viewer. In developing the software for the simple image viewer, we decided that the viewer should provide the following features: (1) be available to both Windows OS and Mac OS, (2) allow interlocking of the 3D images, (3) display image enlargement, and (4) allow distance measurements. The accuracy of the distance measurements was evaluated. Results The procedure was as follows: (1) write 3D images in jpeg format to a folder on i-VIEW; (2) place the folder containing the 3D images into the directory of the simple image viewer software on a PC; (3) start the software and open the window to input the folder name containing the 3D images; and (4) display the 3D images. Our viewer had features such as image enlargement, interlocking 3D images, drawing, and distance measurements. No significant differences were shown between the measurements made by our simple viewer and the actual values of the images in any direction. Conclusions Our image-viewing software for 3DX is beneficial for clinical use.     

Image processing in swallowing and speech research

An image processing system for application to studies of the temporal and spatial parameters of movement during swallowing and speech is described. Image sequences from videotape are digitized for computerized manipulation and analysis in an attempt to improve on conventional visual inspection. The system is “interactive” or “event-driven”: after executing a function, the computer waits for guidance from the user who controls the program through keyboard and mouse input, selecting options from menus and responding to prompts. The analyst alters image clarity by the application of filters and heightens contrast through video enhancement. A technique called “remapping” reduces head motion and provides uniform spatial scaling. Animated sequences of images are used, as opposed to frame-by-frame analysis, to preserve temporal context and increase efficiency of measurement. Low cost off-the-shelf personal computer hardware is used along with original software tailored to the application.