3D plane cuts and cubic Bézier curve for CT liver volume segmentation according to Couinaud’s classification

In pre-operative planning for partial liver transplantation, the total liver volume must be virtually segmented from a set of CT scanned images. The liver, consequently, is divided into eight segments according to Couinaud’s classification using hepatic and portal veins as clues. To facilitate the visualization of the segmented liver model, we propose a computerized process using four 3D plane cuts and cubic Bézier curve. In our experiments, fifteen liver volumes were used, and each of them was cut into eight segments using our program and their average percentage volumes were analyzed. The results were in agreement with the ground truth. Our program is semi-automatic. It requires minimal user interactions. As a result, the user can easily view the segmented liver model in both 2D and 3D perspectives.