1. A method for applying an active contour model to a vessel analysis using a processor of a computing device, comprising: receiving, at a computing device, image data representative of an image of at least one vessel; normalizing the image data about a starting point by averaging pixel intensities of plural pixels about the starting point to determine an average pixel intensity, and dividing the pixel intensities of the image data by the average pixel intensity; initializing a snake a first time, the snake defining a set of points that represent a spline within the vessel; calculating image forces that act on the snake to pull the snake toward a contour of the vessel; and iteratively applying a minimization process to determine the contour of the vessel.