Analysis of multidimensional data

1. A system that analyzes a series of images comprising:

a contour initializer that establishes a plurality of initial contours from respective images within the series of images;

a model initializer that interconnects the plurality of initial contours into a surface model; and

a model refiner that refines the plurality of initial contours by manipulating the surface model.

2. The system of claim 1 , the surface model extending in at least one associated temporal dimension.

3. The system of claim 1 , the surface model comprising a plurality of vertices each associated with one of the plurality of initial contours.

4. The system of claim 3 , the model refiner comprising a surface deformer that changes the relative locations of the plurality of vertices within their associated contours.

5. The system of claim 3 , the model refiner comprising a force calculator that calculates at least one virtual force to be applied to each vertex.

6. The system of claim 5 , the at least one virtual force comprising an external force that attracts a given vertex toward desired features within its associated image.

7. The system of claim 5 , the at least one virtual force comprising an internal force that acts to maintain a smooth and continuous curvature across a surface represented by the surface model.

8. The system of claim 5 , the at least one virtual force comprising an a priori force that attracts a given vertex toward an a priori statistical estimate of its associated contour.

9. The system of claim 8 , the a priori statistical estimate being derived from an expected shape of an imaged object associated with the series of images.

10. The system of claim 8 , the a priori statistical estimate being derived from known characteristics of an imaging technique utilized to acquire the series of images.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an image acquisition device that acquires at least one of the series of images.

12. The system of claim 11 , the image acquisition device comprising an ultrasound transducer.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a parameter calculator that determines at least one parameter from the refined image contours and associated image data.

14. The system of claim 1 , the system comprising an ultrasound imaging system.

15. The system of claim 1 , the system comprising one of a positron emission tomography imaging system, a single photon emission computed tomography system, an X-ray computed tomography system, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, and an X-ray fluoropscopy system.

16. The system of claim 1 , the system comprising a nuclear-medicine imaging system.

17. A computer program product, located on a computer readable medium and operative in a data processing system, for analyzing N-dimensional data, where N is an integer greater than one, comprising:

a contour initializer that determines a plurality of initial contours, a given contour representing an data set having a dimensionality equal to N−1;

a model initializer that interconnects the initial contours into an initial N-dimensional surface model; and

a model refiner that deforms the initial surface model as to optimize the plurality of initial contours.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising a parameter calculator that calculates at least one parameter from the refined contours.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , the model refiner deforming the model according to a priori statistical estimates of the plurality of contours.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , a given (N−1)-dimensional data set representing an image, and an N th dimension associated with the surface model representing the progression of time.