A 3D deformable surface model for segmentation of objects from volumetric data in medical images

In this paper we present a new 3D discrete dynamic surface model. The model consists of vertices and edges, which connect adjacent vertices. Basic geometry of the model surface is generated by triangle patches. The model deforms by internal and external forces. Internal forces are obtained from local geometry of the model and are related to the local curvature of the surface. External forces, on the other hand, are based on the image data and are calculated from desired image features. We also present a method for generating an initial volume for the model from a stack of initial contours, drawn by the user on cross sections of the volumetric data.