Optimal Algorithm Selection in Multimodal Medical Image Registration

Abstract

Many medical applications benefit from the diversity inherent in imaging technologies to obtain more reliable diagnoses and assessments. Typically, the images obtained from multiple sources are acquired at distinct times and from different viewpoints, rendering a multitude of challenges for the registration process. Furthermore, different areas of the human body require disparate registration functional capabilities and degrees of accuracy. Thus, the benefit attained from the image multiplicity hinges heavily on the imaging modalities employed as well as the accuracy of the alignment process.  It is no surprise then that a wide range of registration techniques has emerged in the last two decades. Nevertheless, it is widely acknowledged that despite the many attempts, no registration technique has been able to deliver the required accuracy consistently under diverse operating conditions.  This paper introduces a novel method for achieving multimodal medical image registration based on exploiting the complementary and competitive nature of the algorithmic approaches behind a wide range of registration techniques. First, a thorough investigation of a wide range of registration algorithms is conducted for the purpose of understanding and quantifying their registration capabilities as well as the influence of their control parameters. Subsequently, a supervised randomized machine learning strategy is proposed for selecting the best registration algorithm for a given registration instance, and for determining the optimal control parameters for such algorithm. Several experiments have been conducted to verify the capabilities of the proposed selection strategy with respect to registration reliability, accuracy, and robustness.