Dental imaging using segmentation and an arch

1. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:

obtaining, with an x-ray detector, image data having a first plurality of slices;

defining a vertical threshold for the image data;

separating, with a computer, the image data into a first portion above the vertical threshold and a second portion below the vertical threshold;

processing, with the computer, the second portion to generate an arch; and

generating, with the computer, an image based on the arch.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein processing, with the computer, the second portion to generate an arch includes separating, with the computer, the second portion into a second plurality of slices; and

generating, with the computer, the arch for the second plurality of slices.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising segmenting the second portion of the image data to separate image data that represents bone from image data that represents tissue.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising performing a seeding process on an upper portion of each of the second plurality of slices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the seeding process includes a multi-thread seeding technique involving applying a two-dimensional grid net over the upper portion of each of the second plurality of slices.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein generating an arch for the plurality of slices includes generating a plurality of curves for each slice in the second plurality of slices.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein generating an arch for the plurality of slices includes determining a slice from the second plurality of slices that includes a predetermined anatomical feature and determining the longest curve in the slice.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein generating a plurality of curves for each slice in the second plurality of slices includes generating an outer curve, an inner curve, and a central curve.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising making a plurality of projections from the arch.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising; selecting a sagittal slice from the image data; and iteratively checking image element values in the sagittal slice.

11. An x-ray system comprising:

an x-ray source;

an x-ray detector positioned opposite the x-ray source; and

a computer that receives image data from the x-ray detector,

the computer defining a vertical threshold for the image data; separating the image data into a first portion above the vertical threshold and a second portion below the vertical threshold; separating the second portion of data into a plurality of slices; generating an arch for the plurality of slices; and generating an image based on the arch.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the computer segments the second portion of the image data to separate image data that represents bone from image data that represents tissue.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the computer performs a seeding process, over an upper portion of each slice.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the seeding process includes a multi-thread seeding technique involving applying a two-dimensional grid net over the upper portion of each slice.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein generating an arch for the plurality of slices includes generating a plurality of curves for each slice of the plurality of slices, determining a slice from the plurality of slices that includes a predetermined anatomical feature, and determining the longest curve in the slice.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein generating a plurality of curves for each slice includes generating an outer curve, an inner curve, and a central curve.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the computer generates a plurality of projections from the arch.

18. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:

obtaining, with an x-ray detector, image data including a plurality of slices, each slice having a plurality of voxel values;

selecting, with a computer, a predetermined slice from the image data;

iteratively checking, with the computer, voxel values in the predetermined slice;

seeding, with the computer, each slice in the plurality of slices;

generating, with the computer, a set of images based on region growing; and

generating a three-dimensional image based on the set of images.