Automatic detection of radioactive seeds for CT based post-planning for prostate seed implantation based on the hough transform
A technique for detecting implanted seeds automatically from CT image data. Various features of the inventive technique include (1) thresholding a 3D CT data set on a voxel basis; and (2) using the Hough transform to identify shapes within the thresholded data that match a predefined 3D shape corresponding to an implanted seed.
1 . A method of detecting implanted seeds automatically from CT image data, the method comprising:
thresholding a 3D CT data set on a voxel basis; and
using the Hough transform to identify shapes within the thresholded data that match a predefined 3D shape corresponding to an implanted seed.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
reconstructing the 3D CT data set from CT slice data.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the predefined shape is an ellipsoid with a major axis and a minor axis with dimensions corresponding to the implanted seed.
4 . An apparatus for detecting implanted seeds automatically from CT image data, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to (1) threshold a 3D CT data set on a voxel basis; and (2) use the Hough transform to identify shapes within the thresholded data that match a predefined 3D shape corresponding to an implanted seed.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the processor is further configured to reconstruct the 3D CT data set from CT slice data.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the predefined shape is an ellipsoid with a major axis and a minor axis with dimensions corresponding to the implanted seed.
7 . A computer readable medium for detecting implanted seeds automatically from CT image data, the computer-readable medium comprising:
a code segment executable by a processor for thresholding a 3D CT data set on a voxel basis; and
a code segment executable by a processor for using the Hough transform to identify shapes within the thresholded data that match a predefined 3D shape corresponding to an implanted seed.
8 . The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising a code segment executable by a processor for reconstructing the 3D CT data set from CT slice data.
9 . The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the predefined shape is an ellipsoid with a major axis and a minor axis with dimensions corresponding to the implanted seed.