Multi-objective dual simplex-mesh based deformable image registration for 3D medical images – proof of concept

Reliably and physically accurately transferring information between images through deformable image registration with large anatomical differences is an open challenge in medical image analysis. Most existing methods have two key shortcomings: first, they require extensive up-front parameter tuning to each specific registration problem, and second, they have difficulty capturing large deformations and content mismatches between images. There have however been developments that have laid the foundation for potential solutions to both shortcomings. Towards the first shortcoming, a multi-objective optimization approach using the Real-Valued Gene-pool Optimal Mixing Evolutionary Algorithm (RV-GOMEA) has been shown to be capable of producing a diverse set of registrations for 2D images in one run of the algorithm, representing different trade-offs between conflicting objectives in the registration problem. This allows the user to select a registration afterwards and removes the need for up-front tuning. Towards the second shortcoming, a dual-dynamic grid transformation model has proven effective at capturing large differences in 2D images. These two developments have recently been accelerated through GPU parallelization, delivering large speed-ups. Based on this accelerated version, it is now possible to extend the approach to 3D images. Concordantly, this work introduces the first method for multi-objective 3D deformable image registration, using a 3D dual-dynamic grid transformation model based on simplex meshes while still supporting the incorporation of annotated guidance information and multi-resolution schemes. Our proof-of-concept prototype shows promising results on synthetic and clinical 3D registration problems, forming the foundation for a new, insightful method that can include bio-mechanical properties in the registration.

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