Segmentation of medical images using a geometric deformable model and its visualization

An automatic segmentation method for medical images that uses a geometric deformable model is presented, and the segmented results are visualized with the help of a modified marching cubes algorithm. The geometric deformable model is based on evolution theory and the level set method. In particular, the level set method utilizes a new derived speed function to improve the segmentation performance. This function is defined by the linear combination of three terms, namely, the alignment term, the minimal-variance term, and the smoothing term. The alignment term makes a level set as close as possible to the boundary of an object. The minimal-variance term best separates the interior and exterior of the contour. The smoothing term renders a segmented boundary less sensitive to noise. The use of the proposed speed function can improve the segmentation accuracy while making the boundaries of each object much smoother. Finally, it is demonstrated that the design of the speed function plays an important role in the reliable segmentation of synthetic and computed tomography (CT) images, and the segmented results are visualized effectively with the help of a modified marching cubes algorithm.