Robust deformable image registration using prior shape information for atlas to patient registration

Lotta Maria Ellingsen, Gouthami Chintalapani, Russell H. Taylor, Jerry L. Prince

Abstract: Statistical atlases enable the individualization of atlas information for patient specific applications such as surgical planning. In this paper, a statistical atlas comprising a point distribution model defined on the vertices of a tetrahedral mesh is registered to a subject’s computed tomography scan of the human pelvis. The approach consists of a volumetric deformable registration method augmented to maintain the topology of the atlas mesh after deformation as well as incorporating the dominant three-dimensional shape modes in the atlas. Experimental results demonstrate that incorporation of the statistical shape atlas helps to stabilize the registration and improves robustness and registration accuracy.