• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

This paper proposes a deformable registration method using a demon algorithm for aligning the lungs between end-exhale and end-inhale CT scans. The lungs are globally aligned by affine transformation and locally deformed by a demon algorithm. The use of floating gradient force allows a fast convergence in the lung regions with a weak gradient of the reference image. The active-cell-based demon algorithm helps to accelerate the registration process and reduce the probability of deformation folding because it avoids unnecessary computation of the displacement for well-matched lung regions. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated through comparisons of methods that use a reference gradient force or a combined gradient force as well as methods with and without active cells. The results show that the proposed method can accurately register lungs with large deformations and can reduce the processing time considerably.