KNOWLEDGE-BASED ANALYSIS AND UNDERSTANDING OF 3D ANATOMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGES.

The anatomical imaging modalities, such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance are well established in diagnostic radiology, while nuclear medicine modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) have just started making an impact through functional imaging. Though PET images provide the functional information, they are hard to interpret because they lack anatomical information. A knowledge-based biomedical image analysis system is being developed to interpret first anatomical images and then analyze PET images of the same patient in context of anatomical knowledge. This will not only help in interpreting PET images but will also provide a means of studying the correlation between the anatomical and functional imaging. Preliminary results for a knowledge-based biomedical image analysis system for interpreting CT images of the chest are presented.