A New Software Environment for 3D-Time Series Analysis
Jörg Hendricks, Gert Wollny, Alexander Hemprich, Thomas Hierl · IGI Global eBooks · 2009
This chapter presents a toolchain including image segmentation, rigid registration and a voxel based non-rigid registration as well as 3D visualization, that allows a time series analysis based on DICOM CT images. Time series analysis stands for comparing image data sets from the same person or specimen taken at different times to show the changes. The registration methods used are explained and the methods are validated using a landmark based validation method to estimate the accuracy of the registration algorithms which is an substantial part of registration process. Without quantitative evaluation, no registration method can be accepted for practical utilization. The authors used the toolchain for time series analysis of CT data of patients treated via maxillary distraction. Two analysis examples are given. In dentistry the scope of further application ranges from pre- and postoperative oral surgery images (orthognathic surgery, trauma surgery) to endodontic and orthodontic treatment. Therefore the authors hope that the presented toolchain leads to further development of similar software and their usage in different fields.