ADR - Anatomy-Driven Reformation

• Published in: IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics 2014-12, Vol.20 (12), p.2496-2505
• Main Authors: Kretschmer, Jan, Soza, Grzegorz, Tietjen, Christian, Suehling, Michael, Preim, Bernhard, Stamminger, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Anatomical structure; Bone and Bones - anatomy & histology; Bone and Bones - diagnostic imaging; Computed tomography; Computer aided diagnosis; Computer Graphics; Databases, Factual; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Medical diagnosis; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasms - pathology; Three-dimensional displays; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1077-2626; 1941-0506
• DOI: 10.1109/TVCG.2014.2346405

Dedicated visualization methods are among the most important tools of modern computer-aided medical applications. Reformation methods such as Multiplanar Reformation or Curved Planar Reformation have evolved as useful tools that facilitate diagnostic and therapeutic work. In this paper, we present a novel approach that can be seen as a generalization of Multiplanar Reformation to curved surfaces. The main concept is to generate reformatted medical volumes driven by the individual anatomical geometry of a specific patient. This process generates flat views of anatomical structures that facilitate many tasks such as diagnosis, navigation and annotation. Our reformation framework is based on a non-linear as-rigid-as-possible volumetric deformation scheme that uses generic triangular surface meshes as input. To manage inevitable distortions during reformation, we introduce importance maps which allow controlling the error distribution and improving the overall visual quality in areas of elevated interest. Our method seamlessly integrates with well-established concepts such as the slice-based inspection of medical datasets and we believe it can improve the overall efficiency of many medical workflows. To demonstrate this, we additionally present an integrated visualization system and discuss several use cases that substantiate its benefits.