A novel approach to extract colon lumen from CT images for virtual colonoscopy

An automatic method has been developed for segmentation of abdominal computed tomography (CT) images for virtual colonoscopy obtained after a bowel preparation of a low-residue diet with ingested contrast solutions to enhance the image intensities of residual colonic materials. Removal of the enhanc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on medical imaging 2000-12, Vol.19 (12), p.1220-1226
Main Authors: Chen, D., Wax, M.R., Li, L., Liang, Z., Li, B., Kaufman, A.E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Adult
Aged
Algorithms
Biological and medical sciences
Bone
Colon
Colon - diagnostic imaging
Colonography
Colonoscopy
Computed tomography
Computerized tomography
Digestive system
Feature extraction
Female
Humans
Image classification
Image segmentation
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry
Reproducibility of Results
Statistical analysis
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
User-Computer Interface
Vector quantization
Virtual colonoscopy
X rays
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Summary:An automatic method has been developed for segmentation of abdominal computed tomography (CT) images for virtual colonoscopy obtained after a bowel preparation of a low-residue diet with ingested contrast solutions to enhance the image intensities of residual colonic materials. Removal of the enhanced materials was performed electronically by a computer algorithm. The method is a multistage approach that employs a modified self-adaptive on-line, vector quantization technique for a low-level image classification and utilizes a region-growing strategy for a high-level feature extraction. The low-level classification labels each voxel based on statistical analysis of its three-dimensional intensity vectors consisting of nearby voxels. The high-level processing extracts the labeled stool, fluid and air voxels within the colon, and eliminates bone and lung voxels which have similar image intensities as the enhanced materials and air, but are physically separated from the colon. This method was evaluated by volunteer studies based on both objective and subjective criteria. The validation demonstrated that the method has a high reproducibility and repeatability and a small error due to partial volume effect. As a result of this electronic colon cleansing, routine physical bowel cleansing prior to virtual colonoscopy may not be necessary.
ISSN:0278-0062
1558-254X
DOI:10.1109/42.897814