A patient-to-computed-tomography image registration method based on digitally reconstructed radiographs.

An automatic method for the accurate registration of computed tomography (CT) data with two camera-calibrated radiographs is presented. The registration is based on the skull as visualized both in the plain radiographs and in radiographs digitally reconstructed from CT. A reference coordinate system is established based on the radiographic projection parameters obtained using an angiographic stereotactic localizer. The CT-derived reconstructed radiographs are aligned iteratively at multiple resolutions until a best match is found by adjusting the position and orientation of the CT data set relative to the reference coordinate system. The results of experiments with a skull phantom performed under stereotactic control which show that reliable registration is possible with an accuracy better than 1 mm are presented. Possible applications include intraoperative patient-to-CT frameless registration and registration of radiographic data with frameless CT for depth electroencephalogram electrode position confirmation.