===== 🧠 Imaging Fusion =====

**Imaging fusion** is the process of combining two or more medical imaging datasets—such as **MRI**, **CT**, **PET**, or **fMRI**—into a single spatially aligned view, used for better diagnostic and surgical accuracy.

==== ✅ Key Characteristics ====
  * Uses software algorithms to align images from different modalities
  * Can be **rigid** (bone-based) or **non-rigid** (deformable tissue modeling)
  * Enhances visualization of anatomy, function, and pathology
  * Essential in neuronavigation, oncology, and stereotactic surgery

==== ⚙️ Common Fusion Combinations ====
^ Modality 1 ^ Modality 2 ^ Purpose                                                      ^
| MRI        | CT         | Combines soft tissue with bone detail for surgical planning |
| PET        | MRI        | Localizes metabolic activity within anatomical context      |
| fMRI       | MRI        | Identifies functional brain areas prior to resection        |
| CT         | Intraop CT | Used in frameless stereotaxy and robotic navigation         |

==== 📌 Clinical Example ====
  * “We fused the patient's MRI with intraoperative CT to align targets with robotic coordinates.”

==== 🧠 Applications ====
  * Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
  * Tumor resection planning
  * Epilepsy surgery
  * Stereotactic biopsy or radiosurgery