A novel medical image registration based on control volumes

To improve the effectiveness of dose distributions in radiotherapy planning and treatment, we investigated a robust image registration algorithm based on control volumes. It auto-mapps control volumes into Thin Plate Spline deformable transformation. The control volumes are introduced to increase the accuracy for the deformable registration. We also developed a bi-directional mapping method to choose the effective control volumes, which furthermore increase the registration accuracy. The clinical images are simulated using our two-step image registration algorithm. The simulation results indicate that the registration algorithm is robust and universal, even in great deformation cases. The algorithm provides a more convenient and robust resolution as compared to manual landmark based methods. The proposed method will help towards realizing the goal of automatic image registration in radiation therapy.