In clinical applications, a single view or image may not be sufficient to view or image the complete desired body region. Thus, two or more, in other words, multiple, scans are combined to represent the full desired body region. The necessity to combine several images may for example be due to image acquisition aspects, such as the size of available image detectors. For example, the size and resolution of X-ray images is defined among other aspects primarily by the size of the detector. The step of combining several images is also referred to as stitching images together. But it has been shown that due to different reasons, for example due to artefacts or movement during the image acquisition, two adjacent images may not perfectly connect at their contacting edges. These contacting edges are also referred to as interface of the two adjacent images. The eye is very sensitive in identifying discontinuities along a straight interface and even very small jumps in intensity may be deemed unacceptable, for example by surgeons in a hospital. However, differences in intensity along the interface can induce a sense of (sometimes serious) image artifacts, more than is warranted by the actual intensity jump over the interface. Further, differences in intensity along the interface, may also add to fatigue and even loss of concentration with respect to the user, for example clinical staff. Therefore, it is known to blend two images together in an overlap region. But this requires a larger image area than the actual image area used for the combination, in other words, the step of blending images requires more individual images because of the necessary overlap. Another disadvantage is that blending images together may remove or distort clinically relevant data.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds