Robust 3D segmentation of anatomical structures with level sets

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the use of the level set formalism to segment anatomical structures in 3D medical images (ultrasound or magnetic resonance images). A closed 3D surface propagates towards the desired boundaries through the iterative evolution of a 4D implicit function. The major contribution of this work is the design of a robust evolution model based on adaptive parameters depending on the data. First the iteration step and the external propagation force, both usually constant, are automatically computed at each iteration. Additionally, region-based information rather than the gradient is used, via an estimation of intensity probability density functions over the image. As a result, the method can be applied to various kinds of data. Quantitative and qualitative results on brain MR images and 3D echographies of carotid arteries are discussed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2000.