Bioimage Suite: A structural, functional and metabolic image analysis platform

描述(申请人提供)：虽然医学成像采集和医学图像分析技术在过去20年中都取得了巨大的进步，但三维成像的全部力量仍然没有被充分利用来评估临床和基础科学假说。这在一定程度上是因为缺乏易于使用、容易获得的软件，其中包括最先进的分析方法。Biolmage Suite代表了源于耶鲁大学图像处理和分析、磁共振和正电子发射断层扫描(PET)研究中心的软件开发努力的结合，这些研究中心已经包含了许多图像分析任务的功能，包括结构图像和血管成像图像的自动和交互分割，图像之间刚性/非刚性配准和非刚性变形的估计，以及功能(FMRI)和扩散张量(DTI)磁共振图像的分析，并将包括处理磁共振波谱(MRS)、单光子发射计算机断层扫描(SPECT)和PET图像的功能。纳入的许多方法都源于耶鲁大学成像小组的原创研究。这项拨款申请的基本目标是扩展、记录和进一步测试该软件，以便为成像研究人员提供实用的软件套件，并使我们能够将其免费传播给耶鲁大学和其他研究机构的研究人员。我们提出了以下具体目标。(1)通过增加一套精心挑选的附加方法来扩展Biolmage Suite的基本算法基础；(2)改进Biolmage Suite目前可用的图形用户界面，并增加对数据库集成的广泛支持，这将简化处理验证假说所需的大型图像集的任务；(3)测试和验证软件的正确操作；(4)全面记录软件并将其免费提供给研究团体。与公共卫生相关：先进的计算机程序处理医学图像将大大提高医学成像技术的利用率，医学成像技术是了解许多重要疾病(如糖尿病、心血管疾病、自闭症、癫痫)、计划治疗(如神经外科手术)和评估其他拟议治疗程序(如新药)的关键工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): While both medical imaging acquisition and medical image analysis technology have made enormous progress over the last 20 years, the full power of three-dimensional imaging is still not being fully utilized for evaluating both clinical and basic science hypotheses. This is, in part, due to the lack of easy to use, easily available software that includes state-of-the-art analysis methods. Biolmage Suite represents a coalescence of software development efforts originating at Yale in Image Processing and Analysis, Magnetic Resonance and PET (positron emission tomography) research centers that already incorporates functionality for many image analysis tasks including both automated and interactive segmentation of structural and angiography images, estimation of rigid/non-rigid registration and non-rigid deformation (e.g. in cardiac images) between images, and analysis of functional (fMRI) and diffusion tensor (DTI) magnetic resonance images and will include functionality to process magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and PET images. Many of the included methods originated as a result of original research in the Yale imaging groups. The fundamental objective of this grant application is to extend, document and further test this software in order to provide a practical software suite for imaging researchers and enable us to freely disseminate it to researchers both at Yale and at other research institutions. We propose the following specific aims. (1) Expand the underlying algorithm base of Biolmage Suite by the addition of a carefully selected set of additional methods, (2) Improve the graphical user interface currently available in Biolmage Suite and add extensive support for database integration that will simplify the task of processing the large sets of images needed for testing hypotheses, (3) Test and verify the correct operation of the software and (4) Fully document the software and make it freely available to the research community. Relevance to Public Health: The availability of advanced computer programs for processing medical images will substantially improve the utilization of medical imaging technology which is a key tool in understanding many important diseases (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autism, epilepsy), planning therapy (e.g. neurosurgery) and evaluating other proposed treatment procedures (e.g. new drugs).