This paper aims to present a review of recent as well as classic image registration methods. Image registration is the process of overlaying images (two or more) of the same scene taken at different times, from different viewpoints, and/or by different sensors. The registration geometrically align two images (the reference and sensed images). The reviewed approaches are classified according to their nature (areabased and feature-based) and according to four basic steps of image registration procedure: feature detection, feature matching, mapping function design, and image transformation and resampling. Main contributions, advantages, and drawbacks of the methods are mentioned in the paper. Problematic issues of image registration and outlook for the future research are discussed too. The major goal of the paper is to provide a comprehensive reference source for the researchers involved in image registration, regardless of particular application areas. q 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract—An overview is presented of the medical image processing literature on mutual-information-based registration. The aim of the survey is threefold: an introduction for those new to the field, an overview for those working in the field, and a reference for those searching for literature on a specific application. Methods are classified according to the different aspects of mutual-information-based registration. The main division is in aspects of the methodology and of the application. The part on methodology describes choices made on facets such as preprocessing of images, gray value interpolation, optimization, adaptations to the mutual information measure, and different types of geometrical transformations. The part on applications is a reference of the literature available on different modalities, on interpatient registration and on different anatomical objects. Comparison studies including mutual information are also considered. The paper starts with a description of entropy and mutual information and it closes with a discussion on past achievements and some future challenges. Index Terms—Image registration, literature survey, matching, mutual information. I.

While intensity-based similarity measures are increasingly used for medical image registration, they often rely on implicit assumptions regarding the imaging physics. The motivation of this paper is to clarify the assumptions on which a number of popular similarity measures rely. After formalizing registration based on general image acquisition models, we show that the search for an optimal measure can be cast into a maximum likelihood estimation problem. We then derive similarity measures corresponding to different modeling assumptions and retrieve some well-known measures (correlation coefficient, correlation ratio, mutual information). Finally, we present results of rigid registration between several image modalities to illustrate the importance of choosing an appropriate similarity measure.

This paper presents an original method for three-dimensional elastic registration of multimodal images. We propose to make use of a scheme that iterates between correcting for intensity differences between images and performing standard monomodal registration. The core of our contribution resides in providing a method that finds the transformation that maps the intensities of one image to those of another. It makes the assumption that there are at most two functional dependences between the intensities of structures present in the images to register, and relies on robust estimation techniques to evaluate these functions. We provide results showing successful registration between several imaging modalities involving segmentations, T1 magnetic resonance (MR), T2 MR, proton density (PD) MR and computed tomography (CT). We also argue that our intensity modeling may be more appropriate than mutual information (MI) in the context of evaluating highdimensional deformations, as it puts more co...

The techniques available for the interrogation and analysis of neuroimaging data have a large influence in determining the flexibility, sensitivity and scope of neuroimaging experiments. The development of such methodologies has allowed investigators to address scientific questions which could not previously be answered and, as such, has become an important research area in its own right. In this paper, we present a review of the research carried out by the Analysis Group at the Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB). This research has focussed on the development of new methodologies for the analysis of both structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data. The majority of the research laid out in this paper has been implemented as freely available software tools within FMRIB’s Software Library (FSL). 1

In this paper we introduce a novel and efficient approach to dense image registration, which does not require a derivative of the employed cost function. In such a context the registration problem is formulated using a discrete Markov Random Field objective function. First, towards dimensionality reduction on the variables we assume that the dense deformation field can be expressed using a small number of control points (registration grid) and an interpolation strategy. Then, the registration cost is expressed using a discrete sum over image costs (using an arbitrary similarity measure) projected on the control points, and a smoothness term that penalizes local deviations on the deformation field according to a neighborhood system on the grid. Towards a discrete approach the search space is quantized resulting in a fully discrete model. In order to account for large deformations and produce results on a high resolution level a multi-scale incremental approach is considered where the optimal solution is iteratively updated. This is done through successive morphings of the source towards the target image. Efficient linear programming using the primal dual principles is considered to recover the lowest potential of the cost function. Very promising results using synthetic data with known deformations and real data demonstrate the potentials of our approach.

Multi-subject non-rigid registration algorithms using dense deformation fields often encounter cases where the transformation to be estimated has a large spatial variability. In these cases, linear stationary regularization methods are not su#cient. In this paper, we present an algorithm that uses a priori information about the nature of imaged objects in order to adapt the regularization of the deformations. We also present a robustness improvement that gives higher weight to those points in images that contain more information. Finally, a fast parallel implementation using networked personal computers is presented. In order to improve the usability of the parallel software by a clinical user, we have implemented it as a grid service that can be controlled by a graphics workstation embedded in the clinical environment. Results on inter-subject pairs of images show that our method can take into account the large variability of most brain structures. The registration time for images 124 is 5 minutes on 15 standard PCs. A comparison of our non-stationary visco-elastic smoothing versus solely elastic or fluid regularizations shows that our algorithm converges faster towards a more optimal solution in terms of accuracy and transformation regularity.

Abstract—This paper presents an original method for three-dimensional elastic registration of multimodal images. We propose to make use of a scheme that iterates between correcting for intensity differences between images and performing standard monomodal registration. The core of our contribution resides in providing a method that finds the transformation that maps the intensities of one image to those of another. It makes the assumption that there are at most two functional dependencies between the intensities of structures present in the images to register, and relies on robust estimation techniques to evaluate these functions. We provide results showing successful registration between several imaging modalities involving segmentations, T1 magnetic resonance (MR), T2 MR, proton density (PD) MR and computed tomography (CT). We also argue that our intensity modeling may be more appropriate than mutual information (MI) in the context of evaluating high-dimensional deformations, as it puts more constraints on the parameters to be estimated and, thus, permits a better search of the parameter space. Index Terms—Elastic registration, intensity correction, medical imaging, multimodality, robust estimation. I.

While intensity-based similarity measures are increasingly used for medical image registration, they often rely on implicit assumptions regarding the physics of imaging. The motivation of this paper is to determine what are the assumptions corresponding to a number of popular similarity measures in order to better understand their use, and finally help choosing the one which is the most appropriate for a given class of problems. After formalizing registration based on general image acquisition models, we show that the search for an optimal measure can be cast into a maximum likelihood estimation problem. We then derive similarity measures corresponding to di#erent modeling assumptions and retrieve some well-known measures (correlation coe#cient, correlation ratio, mutual information). Finally, we present results of registration between 3D MR and 3D Ultrasound images to illustrate the importance of choosing an appropriate similarity measure.

This paper presents a new procedure to estimate the diffusion tensor from a sequence of diffusion-weighted images. The first step of this procedure consists of the correction of the distortions usually induced by eddy-current related to the large diffusion-sensitizing gradients. This correction algorithm relies on the maximization of mutual information to estimate the three parameters of a geometric distortion model inferred from the acquisition principle. The second step of the procedure amounts to replacing the standard least squares based approach by the Geman-McLure M-estimator, in order to reduce outlier related artefacts. Several experiments prove that the whole procedure highly improves the quality of the final diffusion maps.