View source for Slicer:Image Editor

= Goal =

As part of [[Engineering:Programmers_Week_Summer_2005#Slicer3.0_Architecture_Kickoff|the slicer 3 architecture discussion]] we've realized that a very commonly used tool in slicer is the Editor module for defining regions of interest in volumetric medical image data sets.

NA-MIC is in a unique position of being able to dedicate significant resources toward core software infrastructure development. Several people have commented on the fact that the image editor is a critical tool, but not likely to generate "research" results so it is a difficult project to fund through traditional grant mechanisms.

= Background and Motivation =

Slicer's editor module is essentially unchanged since it's initial implementation by Dave Gering in the early versions of slicer. It has been used extensively by the Core 3 DBP group at Harvard/VA for morphometric studies and by other BWH-related groups. It has significant functionality, but also has some distinct limitations.

As part of [[Dissemination:Workshop_May_26-27_2005UseCaseDiscussion|the Dartmouth Dissemination Workshop]], the day-to-day importance of custom tools for morphometry was a recurring comment.

As we have been discussing areas of collaboration with [[Slicer:Simbios_Editing_Modifications|summarized here]].

The image editor should provide a good driver for functionality in the core of a new slicer architecture because of the need for:

* highly customized UI, yet easy to use by non-programmers
* interoperable with other programs such as automatic segmentation tools
* combination of 2D and 3D interaction

= Use Cases =

== Morphometry ==

Within the BWH community, the largest use has been to outline cortical and subcortical brain structures to obtain anatomically accurte ROI analyses for a number of purposes such as to measure differences in volume of key structures between subject groups (e.g. schizophrenics vs controls).

== Shape Analyses ==

Accurate ROIs can be further analyzed by shape analysis techniques.

== Secondary Measures within ROI ==

Quantities derrived from fMRI (e.g. activation statistics) or DTMRI (e.g. FA) are often compared within anatomical regions.

== Input for Simulation ==

Simbios and other simulation efforts use 3D models as input to physical simulations such as neuromusculoskeletal dynamics.

== Basis for Further Computation ==

Labeled ROIs can be used as the starting point for seeds in tractorgraphy analyses, for example.

== Surgery Planning ==

Manual ROI drawing is used to define items such as tumor outlines that are not extractable automatically.

== Many Others.... ==

= Key Functional Requirements =

= Implemenation Plans =