New Module Added to ITK to Aid in Image Analysis

A new module, itk::DCMTKTransformIO, was recently added to extend the Insight Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK) to read affine transforms stored as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Spatial Registration Object files. DICOM is the standard for medical images and related information [1].

The new module aids the research and clinical communities in image analysis, as it provides researchers with access to the image alignments that radiologists perform in clinics.  In addition, it provides clinical practitioners with access to computational research, such as automated image registration algorithms, that can improve their workflows and quality of care.

The new module was developed in collaboration with research application and standards development communities, the 3D Slicer community, and the DICOM standard community. For more information on the new module and future developments, please read “DICOM Spatial Transform IO in the Insight Toolkit.” The article, which was published in the Insight Journal, was authored by Matthew McCormick, Kevin Wang, Andras Lasso, Gregory Sharp, and Steve Pieper. The Insight Journal is an open access on-line publication covering the domain of medical image processing and visualization.

[1] NEMA. The dicom standard. Technical report, NEMA, http://dicom.nema.org, 2014.