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| Left Ventricle MRI Images Segmentation by Unifying Level Set Method and Snake Model with Shape Constraints |
| ZHOU ZeMing1,2, YOU JianJie2, FAN ChunHui1, Pheng Ann Heng3, XIA DeShen2 |
1.Meteorology College, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 211101
2.Department of Computer,Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing 210094
3.Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of HongKong, HongKong |
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Abstract A segmentation algorithm for the left ventricle MRI images is proposed by unifying the level set method and the snake model with shape constraints. Due to the weak edges and the low contrast regions, the deformation curve leaks from the outer boundary of the left ventricle when the snake model is used to segment the MRI image of the left ventricle. After the training samples have been aligned and the variation modes have been analyzed, the allowable shape space of the left ventricle is constructed. According to the properties of the cardiac MRI images, the shape constraint energy field around the average shape is created by the level set method. After the shape constraint energy term is added, the snake model can effectively prevent the deformation curve from leaking out of the low contrast regions. The evolving curve is subject to the shape constraints by mapping it to the allowable shape space. The segmentation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.
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Received: 14 October 2005
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2006, Vol. 19 
