Extracting VOIs from brain PET images

A semi-automatic system for determining volumes of interest (VOI) from positron emission tomography (PET) scans of brain is described. The VOIs surface extraction is based on user selectable threshold and three-dimensional target flood-fill. Contrast to anatomical volume detection approaches, volumes are determined from functional PET images and the obtained objects are checked against anatomical images. The developed VOI program was evaluated with brain FDOPA-PET studies where the striatum was the object. The results were comparable to entirely manual method and the target extraction time is reduced to about one third of manual method.