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Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) scanning is a ubiquitous scanning modality. It produces volumes of data representing internal parts of a human body. Scans are usually output in a standard imaging format (DICOM) and come as a series of axial slices (i.e. slices across the length of the person's body, in planes perpendicular to the imaginary straight line along the person's spine.)

The slices most frequently come at a resolution of 512 x 512 voxels, achieving an accuracy of about 0.5 to 1mm of tissue per voxel, and can be viewed and analysed using a variety of tools. The distance between slices is a parameter of the scanning process and is typically much larger, about 5mm.

During the analysis of CT data volumes it is often useful to correct for the large spacing between slices. For example when preparing a model for 3D printing, the axial voxels would appear elongated. These could be corrected through an interpolation process along the spinal axis.

This project is about the interpolation process, either in the raw data output by the scanner, or in the post-processed data which is being prepared for further analysis or 3D printing.

The output models would ideally be files in a format compatible with 3D printing, such as STL. The main aesthetic feature of the output would be measurable as a smoothness factor, parameterisable by the user.

Existing DICOM image analysis software designed within the Spatial Reasoning Group at Oxford is available to use as part of the project.