Remote sensing image registration via active contour model

Image registration is the process by which we determine a transformation that provides the most accurate match between two images. The search for the matching transformation can be automated with the use of a suitable metric, but it can be very time-consuming and tedious. In this paper, we introduce a registration algorithm that combines active contour segmentation together with mutual information. Our approach starts with a segmentation procedure. It is formed by a novel geometric active contour, which incorporates edge knowledge, namely Edgeflow, into active contour model. Two edgemap images filled with closed contours are obtained. After ruling out mismatched curves, we use mutual information (MI) as a similarity measure to register two edgemap images. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed registration algorithm using both synthetic and multisensor images. Quantitative error analysis is also provided and several images are shown for subjective evaluation.     

基于最大互信息的图像拼接优化算法

基于多分辨分析(MA)策略,提出了以图像最大互信息(MI)为匹配测度的图像拼接粒子群优化算法(OA-MI),使参数随图像的MI计算和多分辨率级数进行自适应调整,解决了灰度图像配准中由于目标函数容易陷入局部极值而造成的误匹配问题。实验证明,该方法能够有效地避免局部极值的影响,通过有限次寻优迭代即可找到最优配准变换,提高了图像配准的计算速度和图像拼接的质量。     

基于IPSO和综合信息的医学图像配准新方法

针对医学图像配准中采用互信息作为配准相似度函数存在配准精度不高和收敛速度慢等问题,根据图像灰度和空间结构信息,构造了一种新的基于互信息和改进型形态学梯度算子的信息配准测度函数,采用一种适用于医学图像自动配准的改进型粒子群优化(IPSO)算法,给出了一种新的基于IPSO的医学图像配准算法。实验结果表明,该配准算法稳定性好、收敛速度快,在多模态医学图像自动配准中是可行的。     

F-information measures in medical image registration

A measure for registration of medical images that currently draws much attention is mutual information. The measure originates from information theory, but has been shown to be successful for image registration as well. Information theory, however, offers many more measures that may be suitable for image registration. These all measure the divergence of the joint distribution of the images' grey values from the joint distribution that would have been found had the images been completely independent. This paper compares the performance of mutual information as a registration measure with that of other F-information measures. The measures are applied to rigid registration of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) and MR/computed tomography (CT) images, for 35 and 41 image pairs, respectively. An accurate gold standard transformation is available for the images, based on implanted markers. The registration performance, robustness and accuracy of the measures are studied. Some of the measures are shown to perform poorly on all aspects. The majority of measures produces results similar to those of mutual information. An important finding, however, is that several measures, although slightly more difficult to optimize, can potentially yield significantly more accurate results than mutual information.     

Automatic two-stage IR and MMW image registration algorithm forconcealed weapons detection

A two-stage registration scheme for the concealed weapons detection (CWD) problem is developed. The goal is to automatically register images taken simultaneously from two different (infrared (IR) and millimetre wave (MMW)) but parallel sensors whose lines of sight (LOS) are close to each other. The purpose of the first stage is to register the images coarsely. A feature-based image registration algorithm based on human body silhouettes is developed at this stage. The pose parameters found at this stage are used as the starting search point for the second stage of the registration algorithm. At the second stage, maximisation of the mutual information measure between IR and MMW images is performed to improve the pose parameters obtained at the first stage. Two-dimensional partial volume interpolation is employed to estimate the joint histogram that is needed to calculate mutual information (MI). The simplex search algorithm is utilised to maximise the MI measure. In both stages, the distortion between the two images is assumed to be a rigid body transformation. Experimental results indicate that the automated two-stage registration algorithm performs fairly well     

采用改进梯度互信息和粒子群优化算法的红外与可见光图像配准算法

针对传统互信息图像配准容易产生局部极值,以及传统梯度互信息配准方法计算量大等问题,在互信息和梯度方法基础上构建了一种改进的梯度互信息方法,该方法直接统计梯度图像的互信息,有效地将图像梯度信息和灰度信息结合起来,不仅保证了配准精度,而且较传统梯度互信息方法减少了计算量。在参量优化的过程中,针对传统粒子群优化算法易陷入局部极值的缺点,提出了改进的粒子群优化算法,该算法在传统粒子群优化算法基础上引入混沌优化思想和遗传算法中的杂交思想,不仅能够有效抑制局部极值,而且加快了收敛速度。多种红外与可见光图像配准实验结果证明,文中提出的算法能够有效提高配准精度和速度。     

一种图像快速配准算法的研究

在基于小波分解和互信息测度的图像配准方法的基础上,提出一种改进的快速图像配准算法。首先,对图像进行小波分解,以分解后的图像的近似分量进行配准,利用互信息最大化作为相似性测度,并结合粒子群优化算法和鲍威尔算法为优化策略搜索最优配准参数。实验结果显示,此方法在得到较高的配准精度和鲁棒性的情况下,还大大减少了运算量,提高了配准的速度。     

PET-CT image registration in the chest using free-form deformations

We have implemented and validated an algorithm for three-dimensional positron emission tomography transmission-to-computed tomography registration in the chest, using mutual information as a similarity criterion. Inherent differences in the two imaging protocols produce significant nonrigid motion between the two acquisitions. A rigid body deformation combined with localized cubic B-splines is used to capture this motion. The deformation is defined on a regular grid and is parameterized by potentially several thousand coefficients. Together with a spline-based continuous representation of images and Parzen histogram estimates, our deformation model allows closed-form expressions for the criterion and its gradient. A limited-memory quasi-Newton optimization algorithm is used in a hierarchical multiresolution framework to automatically align the images. To characterize the performance of the method, 27 scans from patients involved in routine lung cancer staging were used in a validation study. The registrations were assessed visually by two expert observers in specific anatomic locations using a split window validation technique. The visually reported errors are in the 0- to 6-mm range and the average computation time is 100 min on a moderate-performance workstation.     

Fast and accurate image registration using Tsallis entropy and simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation

The Tsallis measure of mutual information is combined with the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation algorithm to register images. It is shown that Tsallis entropy can improve registration accuracy and speed of convergence, compared with Shannon entropy, in the calculation of mutual information. Simulation results show that the new algorithm achieves up to seven times faster convergence and four times more precise registration than using a classic form of entropy.     

Image registration by maximization of combined mutual information and gradient information

Mutual information has developed into an accurate measure for rigid and affine monomodality and multimodality image registration. The robustness of the measure is questionable, however. A possible reason for this is the absence of spatial information in the measure. The present paper proposes to include spatial information by combining mutual information with a term based on the image gradient of the images to be registered. The gradient term not only seeks to align locations of high gradient magnitude, but also aims for a similar orientation of the gradients at these locations. Results of combining both standard mutual information as well as a normalized measure are presented for rigid registration of three-dimensional clinical images [magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET)]. The results indicate that the combined measures yield a better registration function does mutual information or normalized mutual information per se. The registration functions are less sensitive to low sampling resolution, do not contain incorrect global maxima that are sometimes found in the mutual information function, and interpolation-induced local minima can be reduced. These characteristics yield the promise of more robust registration measures. The accuracy of the combined measures is similar to that of mutual information-based methods.     

Nonrigid registration of 3-d multichannel microscopy images of cell nuclei.

We present an intensity-based nonrigid registration approach for the normalization of 3-D multichannel microscopy images of cell nuclei. A main problem with cell nuclei images is that the intensity structure of different nuclei differs very much; thus, an intensity-based registration scheme cannot be used directly. Instead, we first perform a segmentation of the images from the cell nucleus channel, smooth the resulting images by a Gaussian filter, and then apply an intensity-based registration algorithm. The obtained transformation is applied to the images from the nucleus channel as well as to the images from the other channels. To improve the convergence rate of the algorithm, we propose an adaptive step length optimization scheme and also employ a multiresolution scheme. Our approach has been successfully applied using 2-D cell-like synthetic images, 3-D phantom images as well as 3-D multichannel microscopy images representing different chromosome territories and gene regions. We also describe an extension of our approach, which is applied for the registration of 3D + t (4-D) image series of moving cell nuclei.     

Mosaicing of bladder endoscopic image sequences: distortion calibration and registration algorithm.

Cancers located on the internal wall of bladders can be detected in image sequences acquired with endoscopes. The clinical diagnosis and follow-up can be facilitated by building a unique panoramic image of the bladder with the images acquired from different viewpoints. This process, called image mosaicing, consists of two steps. In the first step, consecutive images are pairwise registered to find the local transformation matrices linking geometrically consecutive images. In the second step, all images are placed in a common and global coordinate system. In this contribution, a mutual information-based similarity measure and a stochastic gradient optimization method were implemented in the registration process. However, the images have to be preprocessed in order to register the data in a robust way. Thus, a simple correction method of the distortions affecting endoscopic images is presented. After the placement of all images in the global coordinate system, the parameters of the local transformation matrices are all adjusted to improve the visual aspect of the panoramic images. Phantoms are used to evaluate the global mosaicing accuracy and the limits of the registration algorithm. The mean distances between ground truth positions in the mosaiced image range typically in 1-3 pixels. Results given for in vivo patient data illustrate the ability of the algorithm to give coherent panoramic images in the case of bladders.     

Geometric direct search algorithms for image registration.

A widely used approach to image registration involves finding the general linear transformation that maximizes the mutual information between two images, with the transformation being rigid-body [i.e., belonging to SE(3)] or volume-preserving [i.e., belonging to SL(3)]. In this paper, we present coordinate-invariant, geometric versions of the Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm on the groups SL(3), SE(3), and their various subgroups, that are applicable to a wide class of image registration problems. Because the algorithms respect the geometric structure of the underlying groups, they are numerically more stable, and exhibit better convergence properties than existing local coordinate-based algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate the improved convergence properties of our geometric algorithms.     

基于互信息量和模糊梯度相似性的医学图像配准

本文分析了基于互信息量的医学图像配准算法中存在的鲁棒性问题,提出创建图像的模糊梯度场及建立模糊梯度相似性测度,并将其结合到互信息量配准算法当中.实验证明,本方法很好的解决了传统基于互信息量的方法中存在的鲁棒性问题,能够快速稳定地实现医学图像配准.     

Diffeomorphic metric mapping of high angular resolution diffusion imaging based on Riemannian structure of orientation distribution functions

In this paper, we propose a novel large deformation diffeomorphic registration algorithm to align high angular resolution diffusion images (HARDI) characterized by orientation distribution functions (ODFs). Our proposed algorithm seeks an optimal diffeomorphism of large deformation between two ODF fields in a spatial volume domain and at the same time, locally reorients an ODF in a manner such that it remains consistent with the surrounding anatomical structure. To this end, we first review the Riemannian manifold of ODFs. We then define the reorientation of an ODF when an affine transformation is applied and subsequently, define the diffeomorphic group action to be applied on the ODF based on this reorientation. We incorporate the Riemannian metric of ODFs for quantifying the similarity of two HARDI images into a variational problem defined under the large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping framework. We finally derive the gradient of the cost function in both Riemannian spaces of diffeomorphisms and the ODFs, and present its numerical implementation. Both synthetic and real brain HARDI data are used to illustrate the performance of our registration algorithm.     

基于互信息的紫外成像仪中图像配准研究

紫外成像仪为实现放电点定位和电气设备故障诊断,需要对来自不同传感器的紫外与可见光图像进行配准。针对紫外与可见光图像成像原理差异较大,特征点提取及匹配困难的问题,文章提出一种基于互信息的紫外与可见光图像配准算法并将其应用到紫外成像仪中完成实时配准。首先计算紫外与可见光图像中的互信息,将互信息作为相似性测度,采用刚体变换模型对图像进行变换,然后通过1+1进化算法求取最优相似性测度时的空间变换参数而完成图像配准,并通过仿真和紫外成像仪样机验证了所提算法的有效性。     

Registration of stereo and temporal images of the retina

The registration of retinal images is required to facilitate the study of the optic nerve head and the retina. The method we propose combines the use of mutual information as the similarity measure and simulated annealing as the search technique. It is robust toward large transformations between the images and significant changes in light intensity. By using a pyramid sampling approach combined with simulated reannealing we find that registration can be achieved to predetermined precision, subject to choice of interpolation and the constraint of time. The algorithm was tested on 49 pairs of stereo images and 48 pairs of temporal images with success.     

基于轮廓特征点最大互信息的多模态医学图像配准

提出了一种基于轮廓特征点最大互信息的多模态医学图像配准方法,并将粒子群优化算法(PSO)和Powell算法相结合以一种组合的全局优化算法(PPSO)来求取最优配准变换参数.实验结果表明,该方法具有配准精度高、速度快、鲁棒性强等特点,是一种有效地全自动配准方法.     

融合确定性信息和随机信息的插值方法研究

为了提高医学图像配准过程中的测度曲线光滑性和运算速度,本文利用图像的灰度概率分布作为确定性信息,同时利用非整数网格位置处的灰度随机性信息,定义了融合确定性信息和随机性信息的置信区域(DSCR);结合最近邻域插值法,提出了基于DSCR的最近邻域插值法(DSCRNN)。使用DSCRNN插值方法得到测度在整数平移位置处的值是准确无误差的。通过医学图像之间的刚体配准实验,从函数曲线、运算时间、抗噪鲁棒性和收敛性能方面对比分析了8种插值方法,结果表明,相对其它插值方法,DSCRNN插值方法在不牺牲插值速度的前提条件下可以提高归一化互信息(NMI)测度的收敛性能和抗噪声能力。     

Semiautomatic 3-D image registration as applied to interventional MRI liver cancer treatment

We evaluated semiautomatic, voxel-based registration methods for a new application, the assessment and optimization of interventional magnetic resonance imaging (I-MRI) guided thermal ablation of liver cancer. The abdominal images acquired on a low-field-strength, open I-MRI system contain noise, motion artifacts, and tissue deformation. Dissimilar images can be obtained as a result of different MRI acquisition techniques and/or changes induced by treatments. These features challenge a registration algorithm. We evaluated one manual and four automated methods on clinical images acquired before treatment, immediately following treatment, and during several follow-up studies. Images were T2-weighted, T1-weighted Gd-DTPA enhanced, T1-weighted, and short-inversion-time inversion recovery (STIR). Registration accuracy was estimated from distances between anatomical landmarks. Mutual information gave better results than entropy, correlation, and variance of gray-scale ratio. Preprocessing steps such as masking and an initialization method that used two-dimensional (2-D) registration to obtain initial transformation estimates were crucial. With proper preprocessing, automatic registration was successful with all image pairs having reasonable image quality. A registration accuracy of approximately equal to 3 mm was achieved with both manual and mutual information methods. Despite motion and deformation in the liver, mutual information registration is sufficiently accurate and robust for useful applications in I-MRI thermal ablation therapy.