High-precision localization and quantification of 3D tubular structures

We derive analytic lower bounds for estimating the position and width of 3D tubular structures. Based on a continuous image model comprising blur and noise introduced by an imaging system we analyze three different intensity models of 3D tubular structures with increasing complexity. The derived formulas indicate that quantification of 3D tubular structures can be performed with very high precision under certain assumptions. The theoretical results are substantiated by experimental investigations based on discretized and quantized 3D image data