The Need for Image Processing when Creating Virtual Phantoms with Simulated Deformations

摘要

Deformations can be digitally applied to patient images to evaluate deformable image registration (DIR). However, this can deform image noise and artifacts, leaving a fingerprint of the underlying deformation that could skew accuracy determination. Image processing can erase this fingerprint and create a more realistic DIR test scenario. The importance of image processing to simulated deformations is tested here. These tests utilize a virtual pelvic phantom. Two image-filtering techniques are utilized: a spatial convolution with a Gaussian (SCG) and an edge-preserving filter (EPF) that preferentially removes the Fourier components associated with noise. Four different processing scenarios are evaluated.