Faster medical image processing

IBM and the Mayo Clinic have successfully tested a 3D imaging application which is able to register medical images approximately 50 times faster than a solution running on a traditional processor configuration.

The solution uses IBM’s Cell Broadband Engine to allow radiologists to detect a change in the size of tumours in seconds rather than hours.

One way medical images are being improved is by using visual images from more than one source, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT) scans. The generation of computer-enhanced images from multiple sources must begin with accurate alignment of the visual data. When three dimensions and millions of pixels are involved, the task becomes exponentially complex and requires higher processing speeds.