| abstract |
A method for quantifying the effects of a treatment of a subject, comprising: analysing a sample of the subject, the sample comprising a material of interest and at least one adjacent material that is generally adjacent to the material of interest, the material of interest having a generally different density from the adjacent material. The analysing comprises: (i) automatically defining a plurality of regions of interest within an image of the sample that includes a junction between the material of interest and the adjacent material, each of said regions of interest having a width of one or more pixels or voxels; (ii) determining respective profiles of density, intensity or attenuation within the regions of interest, each of the respective profiles crossing the junctions between the material of interest and the adjacent material; (iii) automatically identifying the material of interest in the profiles; (iv) analysing said profiles by automatically defining, for each of said profiles, a series of sections of said respective profile, each of said sections comprising at least one S-like portion of the respective profile, the S-like portion containing the junction between the material of interest and the adjacent material; and (v) locating the junction in each of the S-like portions, including: (a) identifying the greatest difference in values of the respective profile between an adjacent peak and trough in a segment of the respective profile that includes at least some of the material of interest and at least some of the adjacent material; and (b) locating a point of inflexion in said segment. This method may also be employed in a method of treatment of a disease in a subject. |