Matching 3D MR breast images using a localized radial basis function

M. A. Wirth, D. Nikitenko, J. Lyon University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada Synopsis The interpretation of Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of the breast involves detecting changes between corresponding images. Since the breast is an intrinsically nonrigid structure, changes in breast positioning, patient movement and associated thoracic motion may contribute to spatial differences between analogous structures in corresponding images. These differences, which may inhibit comparative analysis, are significantly reduced through the process of registration. This paper presents an approach to matching Magnetic Resonance images of the breast using a point-based registration methodology incorporating nonrigid deformations in the form of a localized 3D radial basis function.