Method and system for segmenting desired regions in digital mammograms
First Claim
1. A method for automatically segmenting a desired region in a digital mammogram image from undesired regions, comprising the steps of:
- normalizing the brightness values of the pixels in said digital mammogram image to produce a normalized image;
selecting a seed pixel in said normalized image;
region growing said normalized image starting from said seed pixel to produce a region-grown mask;
closing holes in the region-grown mask to produce a closed mask;
eroding the closed mask to produce an eroded mask; and
dilating the eroded mask to produce a dilated mask.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for detecting and displaying clustered microcalcifications in a digital mammogram, wherein a single digital mammogram is first automatically cropped to a breast area sub-image which is then processed by means of an optimized Difference of Gaussians filter to enhance the appearance of potential microcalcifications in the sub-image. The potential microcalcifications are thresholded, clusters are detected, features are computed for the detected clusters, and the clusters are classified as either suspicious or not suspicious by means of a neural network. Thresholding is preferably by sloping local thresholding, but may also be performed by global and dual-local thresholding. The locations in the original digital mammogram of the suspicious detected clustered microcalcifications are indicated. Parameters for use in the detection and thresholding portions of the system are computer-optimized by means of a genetic algorithm. The results of the system are optimally combined with a radiologist'"'"'s observation of the original mammogram by combining the observations with the results, after the radiologist has first accepted or rejected individual detections reported by the system.
207 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for automatically segmenting a desired region in a digital mammogram image from undesired regions, comprising the steps of:
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normalizing the brightness values of the pixels in said digital mammogram image to produce a normalized image; selecting a seed pixel in said normalized image; region growing said normalized image starting from said seed pixel to produce a region-grown mask; closing holes in the region-grown mask to produce a closed mask; eroding the closed mask to produce an eroded mask; and dilating the eroded mask to produce a dilated mask. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for segmenting an area of a digital mammogram image corresponding to breast tissue from the remainder of the image, comprising the steps of:
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storing a digital representation of said digital mammogram image; enhancing the digital representation to produce an enhanced image in which the contrast of the area of the mammogram image corresponding to breast tissue is increased; thresholding the enhanced image to produce a binary image comprising a seed pixel; region growing said seed pixel in said binary image to produce a mask; closing holes in said mask; eroding said mask; and dilating said mask. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for automatically segmenting a desired region in a digital mammogram image from undesired regions, comprising:
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normalizing means for normalizing the brightness values of the pixels in said digital mammogram image to produce a normalized image; seed-selecting means for selecting a seed pixel in said normalized image; region-growing means for region growing said normalized image starting from said seed pixel to produce a region-grown mask; hole-closing means for closing holes in the region-grown mask to produce a closed mask; erosion means for eroding the closed mask to produce an eroded mask; and dilation means for dilating the eroded mask to produce a dilated mask. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for segmenting an area of a digital mammogram image corresponding to breast tissue from the remainder of the image, comprising:
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storage means for storing a digital representation of said digital mammogram image; image enhancement means for enhancing the digital representation to produce an enhanced image in which the contrast of the area of the mammogram image corresponding to breast tissue is increased; thresholding means for thresholding the enhanced image to produce a binary image comprising a seed pixel; region growing means for region growing said seed pixel in said binary image to produce a mask; hole closing means for closing holes in said mask; erosion means for eroding said mask; and dilation means for dilating said mask. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification