GPU-accelerated block matching algorithm for deformable registration of lung CT images

Deformable registration (DR) is a key technology in the medical field. However, many of the existing DR methods are time-consuming and the registration accuracy needs to be improved, which prevents their clinical applications. In this study, we propose a parallel block matching algorithm for lung CT image registration, in which the sum of squared difference metric is modified as the cost function and the moving least squares approach is used to generate the full displacement field. The algorithm is implemented on Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) with the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). Results show that the proposed parallel block matching method achieves a fast runtime while maintaining an average registration error (standard deviation) of 1.08 (0.69) mm.