“Mask Volume” is a Segment Editor effect that can paint a a segment’s shape inside an image volume. It can be used for removing anything from the image (e.g., remove the patient table from a CT by blanking out the area) or it can be used for painting in structures (e.g., to simulate presence of objects or to fix problems during imaging). A limitation of the tool was that the edited images often had noticeable artifacts at the boundary of the painted region.
A new “Soft edge” option has been added to “Mask Volume” effect that removes the boundary artifacts of the in-painting by gradually blending the solid painted region with the original image. The effect has a single parameter, which specifies the size of the transition zone for this blending.
Example 1: Painting in a structure
Without soft edge (notice the blocky edges and color artifacts due to very high gradient):
Using soft edge option with 0.5mm thickness:
Example 2: Remove a structure from the image
Without soft edge (notice the artifacts where the table touched the patient skin):
Soft edge (less edge artifacts):
Soft edge (very wide edge, even less edge artifacts but the transition zone somewhat eats into the image):
The feature is available in recent Slicer Preview Releases (Slicer-5.3.0-2023-03-03 and later). Development was funded by SlicerHeart project.
