Registration patterns: the generic framework for image registration of the insight toolkit

This paper describes the design and implementation of the generic framework for image registration contained in the National Library of Medicine NLM/NIH Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK). The problem of image registration has been modeled here as a structure of pluggable components that can be easily interchanged. The rationale behind the framework is presented in this paper both from the image processing and software engineering points of view. ITK is an open source project that provides a platform for developing image processing and analysis applications. State of the art practices of software engineering have been used for the design, implementation and testing of the toolkit. The source code can be downloaded free of charge and used in academic and commercial applications.