SimITK/SimVTK: Model Driven Engineering for

Medical Imaging

1

Simulink, Model Driven Engineering (MDE) in Matlab

Interactive graphical environment Select, add blocks to blank “canvas”, inter-connect blocks to form a process modelWritten programming code abstracted away• Replaced by equivalent visual

model representation

2

SimITK/SimVTK, MDE for ITK & VTK

MDE for ITK/VTK:• Drag and drop approach to process development• Accessible visual notation for ITK and VTK• Instructional value

MATLAB/Simulink offer many benefits:• Use MATLAB’s Simulink visual environment• Avoid reinventing the wheel• Allow mix of MATLAB code and ITK/VTK

3

SimVTK Example

4

SimITK Example

5

6

System Overview

Templating

Virtual Block Template File

S-Function Template File

Simplified XML

Automatic Template Substitution by Perl Scripts

Matlab .mex File

Matlab Callback FIle Simulink

LIbrary7

Virtual Block

8

SimulinkSimulink ITK

VirtualPort

ConversionitkImage

Update ITK Image Filter

itkImageConversion

VirtualPort

Parameter Variables

Conversion

Spacing & Origin

Data

Spacing & Origin

Data

Input

Output

Parameters

Goals

• Ultimate Goal – ITK and Simple ITK in Matlab and Simulink• Synergy between the SimpleITK group and SimITK group• Both communities aim to simplify usage of ITK

• Lead Engineering Time to complete ITK -> XML wrapper• Possibly modify to do ITK -> JSON wrapping instead• JSON is compact, better at expressing an API description

• Ways to Fund Engineering Time for:• Wrapping of ITK in Simulink and Matlab• Extending this work to SimpleITK in Matlab/Simulink

9