3-D SEGMENTATION OF MR IMAGES OF THE HEAD FOR 3-D DISPLAY

In this paper, algorithms for 3-D segmentation and reconstruction of anatomical surfaces from MRI data are presented. We describe the 3-D extension of the Marr-Hildreth operator and show that its zero crossings are related to anatomical surfaces. For an improved surface definition, morphological filters—dilation and erosion—are applied. From these contours, 3-D reconstructions of skin, bone, brain, and the ventricular system can be generated. Results obtained with different segmentation parameters and surface rendering methods are presented. The fidelity of the generated images comes close to the anatomical reality. © 1990 IEEE