Method and system for fast n-dimensional dynamic registration

1 . A method of updating the registration of a pair of images comprising the steps of:

providing a pair of images with a source image and a first target image, and a first full registration between said source image and said target image, wherein each said image comprises a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points in a D-dimensional space;

determining a second full registration between said source image and said first target image;

obtaining a second target image;

determining a registration between said first target image and said second target image; and

determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image, based on the registration between said second target image and said first target image and on said first full registration between said first target image and said source image, wherein the step of determining the second full registration between said source image and said first target image is performed in parallel with the steps of obtaining a second target image, determining a registration between said first target image and said second target image, and determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of obtaining a second target image, determining a registration between said second target image and said first target image, and determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image are repeated a plurality of times during said determination of the second full registration between said source image and said first target image.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein after the determination of the second full registration between said source image and said first target image, obtaining a third target image, determining a registration between said third target image and said first target image, and determining an incremental registration between said third target image and said source image based on the registration between said third target image and said first target image and on said second full registration between said source image and said first target image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parallel steps are performed on physically distinct processors.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parallel steps are performed on separate threads running on the same processor.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the source image and the target image are obtained from different imaging modalities.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incremental registration between said second target image and said source image is performed using an optical flow.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incremental registration between said second target image and said source image is performed using a first Kalman filter, and the full registration between said second target image and said source image is performed using a second Kalman filter, wherein a different observation model is used for the incremental registration and the full registration. .

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is performed periodically after a predetermined time difference.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is performed after a predetermined number of incremental registrations of a previous target image and said source image.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is triggered by an event.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said event includes at least one of a processor load, a user interaction, and an accumulated incremental error threshold.

13 . A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps for updating the registration of a pair of images, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a pair of images with a source image and a first target image, and a first full registration between said source image and said target image, wherein each said image comprises a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points in a D-dimensional space;

determining a second full registration between said source image and said first target image;

obtaining a second target image;

determining a registration between said first target image and said second target image; and

determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image, based on the registration between said second target image and said first target image and on said first full registration between said first target image and said source image, wherein the step of determining the second full registration between said source image and said first target image is performed in parallel with the steps of obtaining a second target image, determining a registration between said first target image and said second target image, and determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image.

14 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the steps of obtaining a second target image, determining a registration between said second target image and said first target image, and determining an incremental registration between said second target image and said source image are repeated a plurality of times during said determination of the second full registration between said source image and said first target image.

15 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein after the determination of the second full registration between said source image and said first target image, obtaining a third target image, determining a registration between said third target image and said first target image, and determining an incremental registration between said third target image and said source image based on the registration between said third target image and said first target image and on said second full registration between said source image and said first target image.

16 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the parallel steps are performed on physically distinct processors.

17 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the parallel steps are performed on separate threads running on the same processor.

18 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the source image and the target image are obtained from different imaging modalities.

19 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the incremental registration between said second- target image and said source image is performed using an optical flow.

20 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein the incremental registration between said second target image and said source image is performed using a first Kalman filter, and the full registration between said second target image and said source image is performed using a second Kalman filter, wherein a different observation model is used for the incremental registration and the full registration.

21 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is performed periodically after a predetermined time difference.

22 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is performed after a predetermined number of incremental registrations of a previous target image and said source image.

23 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 13 , wherein said full registration between said source image and a subsequent target image is triggered by an event.

24 . The computer readable program storage device of claim 23 , wherein said event includes at least one of a processor load, a user interaction, and an accumulated incremental error threshold.

25 . A method of registering a pair of time-varying images, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a source image and a target image, wherein each said image comprises a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points in a D-dimensional space;

initializing a full registration between said source image and said target image;

obtaining a new target image;

determining a registration between said target image and said new target image;

determining an incremental registration between said new target image and said source image, based on the registration between said new target image and said target image and on said initial full registration between said source image and said target image;

determining a full registration between said source image and said target image,

wherein the steps of obtaining a new target image, determining a registration between said target image and said new target image, and determining an incremental registration are repeated until said full registration between said source image and said target image is completed; and

using said full registration between said source image and said target image to correct the incremental registration between said new target image and said source image.