Variational Deformation Method for the Computation of the Average Shape of Organs

Multiple image warping computes deformation fields between an image and a collection of images. Using multiple warping, we develop a variational method for the computation of average images of volumetric biological organs. In medical diagnosis, the average shape of individual organs provides essential properties for the general expression of organs. For the comparative reading of medical images, image registration to a standard organ in database is achieved to discriminate abnormal organs from the standard organ. Our algorithm numerically generates a standard organ from a collection of volumetric medical images. Appling the multiple warping to the temporal sequence of a beating heart, we obtain the average heart.