2009 Winter Project Week LungImagingPlatform

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Key Investigators

• James Ross
• Raul San Jose

Objective

Our goal is to develop a lung imaging platform for the clinical understanding of multiple lung diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) among others. Quantitative lung imaging is a key component of on-going genetic and molecular biology studies that are being carried out at BWH and other centers across USA. A significant example of these new efforts is [Genetics Epidemiology] multicenter study. The NAMIC Kit and Slicer 3 are ideal candidates for the implementation of such efforts.

Our goals for this week are threefold:

• Design the main platform components.
• Dynamic programming approaches for the extraction of 3D airways.
• Porting our current imaging platform, [Airway Inspector] based on 3D Slicer to Slicer 3.

Approach, Plan

Our approach is to develop a module in Slicer 3 that has the following components:

• A unique library that can be linked against and shared by other Slicer modules or external applications.
• Command Line Modules that encapsulate the individual algorithmic components of the platform without strings attached to a particular solution. The idea is to enable rapid prototyping and deployment of the solutions before they are fully integrated.
• Custom solutions for disease-oriented applications: our plan is to discuss how an explication can customize the Slicer 3 layout.

We will focus on the following design aspects:

• MRML data structures for tubular-type anatomical structures.
• Support for quantitative imaging: handling data tables in Slicer 3 from MRML to Command Line Modules.
• ITK filter hierarchies for the main image analysis components: extraction of lung lobes, airways and vessels.
• Customizable GUI layout.

Progress

• A semiautomatic lobe segmentation has been successfully implemented in Slicer 3 as a Command Line Module.
• Initial design needs have been discussed.