A modular and evolutive component oriented software architecture for patient modeling

This paper deals with the design aspect of a software aiming at modeling the anatomical and pathological structures of patients from medical images, for diagnosis purposes. In terms of functionalities, it allows to combine image processing algorithms, and to visualize and manipulate 3D models and images. The proposed software uses specific extensible and reusable components and a system managing their combination, thanks to a formal XML-based description of their interfaces. This architecture facilitates the dynamic integration of new functionalities, in particular in terms of image processing algorithms. We describe the structural and behavioral aspects of the proposed reusable component-based architecture. We also discuss the potential of this work for developing other softwares in the field of computer aided surgery.