Breast segmentation in radiographic images
First Claim
1. A method for segmenting an image comprising pixels, the method comprising:
- generating a start model comprising a set of model points approximating an outline of an object in an initial image;
subsampling the initial image at a first scale to generate a subsampled image;
smoothing the subsampled image at a first smoothing level to generate a smoothed image;
generating a curvature image by applying a second derivative operator to the smoothed image;
locating, for each of the model points in the start model, second derivative local maxima in the curvature image that are orthogonal to a respective model point and within a search region having a first boundary on one side of the start model and a second boundary on an opposite side of the start model;
generating a set of contours by growing a contour for each of the second derivative local maxima;
shifting the start model to an outer boundary of the contours; and
generating a segmentation mask of the object based on the shifted start model.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image segmentation embodiment comprises generating a start model comprising a set of model points approximating an outline of an object in an initial image, smoothing the image at a first smoothing level, generating a curvature image by applying a second derivative operator, locating second derivative local maxima in the curvature image that are orthogonal to a respective model point and within a search region having a first boundary on one side of the start model and a second boundary on an opposite side of the start model, generating a set of contours, shifting the start model to an outer boundary of the contours, and generating a segmentation mask of the object based on the shifted start model.
98 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for segmenting an image comprising pixels, the method comprising:
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generating a start model comprising a set of model points approximating an outline of an object in an initial image; subsampling the initial image at a first scale to generate a subsampled image; smoothing the subsampled image at a first smoothing level to generate a smoothed image; generating a curvature image by applying a second derivative operator to the smoothed image; locating, for each of the model points in the start model, second derivative local maxima in the curvature image that are orthogonal to a respective model point and within a search region having a first boundary on one side of the start model and a second boundary on an opposite side of the start model; generating a set of contours by growing a contour for each of the second derivative local maxima; shifting the start model to an outer boundary of the contours; and generating a segmentation mask of the object based on the shifted start model. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for segmenting an image comprising pixels, the system comprising:
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a object model generator generating a start model comprising a set of model points approximating an outline of an object in an initial image; an image subsampler subsampling the initial image at a first scale to generate a subsampled image; an image smoother smoothing the subsampled image at a first smoothing level to generate a smoothed image; a curvature image generator generating a curvature image by applying a second derivative operator to the smoothed image; a local maxima detector locating, for each of the model points in the start model, second derivative local maxima in the curvature image that are orthogonal to a respective model point and within a search region having a first boundary on one side of the start model and a second boundary on an opposite side of the start model; a contour generator generating a set of contours by growing a contour for each of the second derivative local maxima; an object model shifter shifting the start model to an outer boundary of the contours; and a segmentation mask generator generating a segmentation mask of the object based on the shifted start model.
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13. A computer program product for segmenting an image, the computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:
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computer program code for generating a start model comprising a set of model points approximating an outline of an object in an initial image; computer program code for subsampling the initial image at a first scale to generate a subsampled image; computer program code for smoothing the subsampled image at a first smoothing level to generate a smoothed image; computer program code for generating a curvature image by applying a second derivative operator to the smoothed image; computer program code for locating, for each of the model points in the start model, second derivative local maxima in the curvature image that are orthogonal to a respective model point and within a search region having a first boundary on one side of the start model and a second boundary on an opposite side of the start model; computer program code for generating a set of contours by growing a contour for each of the second derivative local maxima; computer program code for shifting the start model to an outer boundary of the contours; and computer program code for generating a segmentation mask of the object based on the shifted start model. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification