2025 Volume 43 Issue 4 Pages 122-125
Nearly 30 years ago, the author developed a multi-scale local structure analysis method for extracting line-like (blood vessels, airways, etc.), sheet-like (cortex, articular cartilage, etc.), and blob-like (tumors, lymph nodes, etc.) structures from 3D medical images. This method is still utilized in the field of biomedical image processing today. This paper looks back on the background and circumstances under which this analysis method was born during the dawn of collaborative research between medicine and information science, reflecting on the research environment at the time, interactions with the advisor, and the process of trial and error. Initially, there were cautious views regarding the direction of the research, but through sustained efforts, gradual progress was achieved, eventually leading to a turning point. Additionally, while this research was conducted in a U.S. laboratory, it was significantly influenced by medical image research in Japan at the time.
