``save largest region'' -- extract largest region from segmentation volume

purpose:

This function will process a bit-mapped segmentation output and extract the region with the largest volume. This routine returns a binary volume containing only the largest region. This function works by calling ``demask region'' for each region in the segmentation volume.

input:

An 8-bit segmentation volume, from the output of certain segmentation functions.

output:

An 8-bit binary image containing the region with the largest volume.

parameters:

The default parameters menu is

segmentation volume from volume = 0
* number of regions = 2
* copy output to vol = 0
*

The ``number of regions'' parameter should be an integer between 0 and 8.

comments:

 

1. The segmentation volume is destroyed by this function, being replaced by the binary volume representing only the region of interest. Therefore, the segmentation volume should be copied before this function is executed if other regions are to be extracted at a later time.
2. If the actual number of regions in the segmentation volume is unknown, the ``number of regions'' parameter can be safely set to 8. Nonexistent regions will be ignored. If the ``number of regions'' parameter is zero, no volume measurements are made and region 0 (mask 0x01) is returned.