Multispectral MR to X-ray registration of vertebral bodies by generating CT-like data

A new method for MR to X-ray registration is presented. Based on training data, consisting of registered multispectral MR and CT data, a function is defined that maps multispectral MR data to CT-like data. For new subjects for which multispectral MR data have been acquired, the mapping function is used to generate a corresponding CT-like dataset. The CT-like image is subsequently used for registration to X-ray data, using gradient-based registration. Preliminary experiments indicate that MR to X-ray registration using this method is more accurate and has a larger capture range than gradient-based registration applied directly to MR data.