Experimental validation of a 4D elastic registration algorithm

This paper presents an extensive validation study of an elastic registration algorithm for dynamic 3D ultrasound images (also known as a 4D image). The registration algorithm uses attribute vectors from both a fixed and previous moving images to perform feature-based alignment of a series of images. The 4D method reduces computational requirements and increases the effective search space for the location of corresponding features, resulting in enhanced registration speed when compared to a static 3D registration technique. Experimental analysis revealed up to 32% improvement in speed when using the 4D method, which makes the algorithm attractive for real-time applications.