An Integrated Framework to Analyze and Visualize the Evolution of Multiple Topology Changing Objects in 4D Image Datasets
Aassif Benassarou, J. De Freitas-Caires, E. Edward Bittar, Laurent Lucas · Vision Modeling and Visualization · 2002
In this paper, we present an integrated approach to visualize and quantitatively analyze spatial processes in time sequences of 3D images, also called 4D images. We describe how the use of a deformable surface model which may change its topology, is relevant to solve the difficulties that arise in this field. The objects embedded in the volumes are extracted and organized in a way to establish the correspondences needed by the temporal evolution. Furthermore, the data between two successive images is interpolated to reconstruct the objects evolution. Descriptors of the evolution are drawn up and computed, as a means to quantify the phenomenon. They are added to the model, leading to nDimensional data, which is structured in a direct acyclic graph. We show that the evolution may be synthetized and represented with simple metaphors which we integrate in an interactive visualization tool. Our method is illustrated by experimental results on real biological data obtained by confocal scanning microscopy.