一种改进的活动轮廓图像分割技术

图像分割是由图像处理到图像分析的关键步骤，也是一种基本的计算机视觉技术。针对传统的活动轮廓外力模型均存在一些难以克服的缺点，提出了一种改进的活动轮廓图像分割技术，并首先介绍了用活动轮廓进行目标分割的基本原理，即一条曲线在其内部能量和外部能量的共同作用下，可以移动到所期望的位置，并且当曲线到达目标位置的时候，活动曲线所具有的能量达到最小。在传统的活动轮廓中，外部能量通常由目标点的梯度势能场给出，但是由于梯度势能场存在着一些难以克服的缺点，即不能够很好地指导曲线的移动，为此，对其进行了改进，即采用一种梯度向量流场作为外部能量场的方法，从而有效地克服了传统梯度势能场捕捉范围小以及难以处理凹平面的缺点，并通过实验证明了该方法的有效性。     

基于改进的活动轮廓图像分割

图像分割是由图像处理到图像分析的关键步骤，也是一种基本的计算机视觉技术。针对传统的活动轮廓模型在分割过程中具有处理速度慢，运算量大，对凹陷轮廓处理效果差等缺点，提出了一种改进的活动轮廓图像分割技术．在传统的活动轮廓中，外部能量通常由目标点的梯度势能场给出，然而梯度势能场存在着一些难以克服的缺点，即不能够很好地指导曲线的移动。把梯度向量流场（GVF）作为外部能量场，有效地克服了传统梯度势能场捕捉范围小以及难以处理凹平面的缺点，并通过实验证明了该方法的有效性。     

基于多尺度梯度矢量场GAC模型的MR医学图像分割

医学图像分割是图像分割技术的一个重要应用领域,GAC(测地线活动轮廓)模型是基于PDE(偏微分方程)方法中一种常用的图像分割模型,使用这种模型时,如何选择合适的平滑尺度是影响分割效果的重要因素之一。提出了一种基于多尺度梯度矢量场GAC模型图像对象轮廓提取的MR图像分割方法,用多尺度梯度矢量取代GAC模型中单一尺度下平滑图像的梯度矢量,提高了GAC模型的收敛速度,有效地改善了局部极小值问题。实验结果验证了该方法的有效性。     

Globally Optimal Geodesic Active Contours

An approach to optimal object segmentation in the geodesic active contour framework is presented with application to automated image segmentation. The new segmentation scheme seeks the geodesic active contour of globally minimal energy under the sole restriction that it contains a specified internal point p_int. This internal point selects the object of interest and may be used as the only input parameter to yield a highly automated segmentation scheme. The image to be segmented is represented as a Riemannian space S with an associated metric induced by the image. The metric is an isotropic and decreasing function of the local image gradient at each point in the image, encoding the local homogeneity of image features. Optimal segmentations are then the closed geodesics which partition the object from the background with minimal similarity across the partitioning. An efficient algorithm is presented for the computation of globally optimal segmentations and applied to cell microscopy, x-ray, magnetic resonance and cDNA microarray images.Ben Appleton received degrees in engineering and in science from the University of Queensland in 2001 and was awarded a university medal. In 2002 he began a Ph.D at the University of Queensland in the field of image analysis. He is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Mathematical and Information Sciences. He has been a teaching assistant in image analysis at the University of Queensland since 2001. He has also contributed 10 research papers to international journals and conferences and was recently awarded the prize for Best Student Paper at Digital Image Computing: Techniques and Applications. His research interests include image segmentation, stereo vision and algorithms.Hugues Talbot received the engineering degree from École Centrale de Paris in 1989, the D.E.A. (Masters) from University Paris VI in 1990 and the Ph.D from École des Mines de Paris in 1993, under the guidance of Dominique Jeulin and Jean Serra. He has been affiliated with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Mathematical and Information Sciences since 1994. He has worked on numerous applied projects in relation with industry, he has contributed more than 30 research papers in international journals and conferences and he has co-edited two sets of international conference proceedings on image analysis. He now also teaches image processing at the University of Sydney, and his research interest include image segmentation, linear structure analysis, texture analysis and algorithms.     

多尺度几何活动曲线及MR图像边界提取

活动曲线方法是８０年代末发展起来的基于模型的图像分割方法,主要有两大类,能量活动曲线方法和几何活动曲线方法,几何活动曲线言方法在数学上比较完备,较好地克服了能量的许多缺点,但是在医学图像分割中,尤其是结构性噪声比较严重的情况下,几何活动曲线向边界的演化会受到一定程度的影响,为了解决这个问题,作者利用基于小波变换的多尺度边缘检测算法,提出了多尺度几何活动曲线模型,在人体头部ＭＲ图像脑边界的提取中,多     

基于共轭梯度的B样条主动轮廓边缘提取

边缘提取是图像识别的基础,为了进一步提高搜索效率和克服主动轮廓模型对初始位置敏感的问题,提出了一种基于共轭梯度的B样条主动轮廓变形边缘提取方法。该方法首先通过人工交互的方式,在目标边缘附近给定一条形状和位置尽量和图像边缘一致的B样条曲线;然后对变形曲线B样条的控制节点进行进化,以取代传统方法中对变形曲线上每一个像素点进行的进化,由于控制节点的数目远远小于曲线上像素点的数目,因而可以大大减少计算次数;最后在梯度矢量场中,对进化曲线附加一共轭梯度力,以加快变形曲线向目标边缘的收敛速度。实验表明,该方法不仅能应对深度凹陷问题,而且边缘提取效率有了较大的提高。     

辅以区域力量的梯度矢量流测地线活动轮廓模型

梯度矢量流测地线活动轮廓模型作为对测地线活动轮廓模型的重要改进,不仅扩大了测地线活动轮廓模型的适用范围,而且改进了它的分割效果。但由于该模型中推动活动轮廓演化的外部力量来自于梯度矢量流,因此活动轮廓在演化过程中可能会由于弱边缘等因素的影响而陷于不希望的局部最小值。为尽量减少弱边缘对活动轮廓初始位置的限制及其对轮廓演化的不利影响,提出了一种新的辅以区域力量的梯度矢量流测地线活动轮廓模型,该模型首先将基于区域信息的力场与梯度矢量流力场相耦合,然后由以上两种力量构成的耦合力场,使活动轮廓模型能够有效地克服弱边缘的影响而收敛到所期望的边缘。实验结果表明,辅以区域力量的梯度矢量流测地线活动轮廓模型与梯度矢量流测地线活动轮廓模型相比,不仅可以更灵活地设置初始轮廓的位置,而且对弱边缘的干扰也有较好的适应性,并能有效地避免边缘泄漏。     

基于改进CV模型的多尺度图像分割方法

在结合多尺度图像分析和水平集图像分割模型的基础上提出了一种新的多尺度图像分割方法.首先使用引入梯度向量流的全变差方法对图像进行多尺度空间分析,然后使用一种改进的CV模型进行分割.采用变分水平集方法作数值计算,因此该方法能够处理曲线的拓扑变化.实验结果表明该方法是有效的.     

一种基于主动轮廓模型的心脏核磁共振图像分割方法

提出一种基于主动轮廓模型的左室壁内、外膜分割方法.首先构造了主动轮廓模型的广义法向有偏梯度矢量流外力模型GNBGVF,作为对梯度矢量流(GVF)的改进,该外力场同时保持了切线方向和法线方向有偏的扩散,具有捕捉范围大、抗噪能力强,且在弱边界泄漏等问题上性能突出.就左室壁内膜的分割而言,考虑到左室壁的近似为圆形的特点,引入了圆形约束的能量项,有利于克服由于图像灰度不均、乳突肌等而导致的局部极小.对于左室壁外膜的分割,采用内膜的分割结果初始化,即通过重新组合梯度分量来构造外力场.该外力场能够克服原始梯度矢量流的不足,使得左室壁外膜边缘很弱时也能得到保持,可以自动、准确地分割外膜.实验结果表明,该方法能高效准确地分割左室壁内、外膜.     

Using Prior Shapes in Geometric Active Contours in a Variational Framework

In this paper, we report an active contour algorithm that is capable of using prior shapes. The energy functional of the contour is modified so that the energy depends on the image gradient as well as the prior shape. The model provides the segmentation and the transformation that maps the segmented contour to the prior shape. The active contour is able to find boundaries that are similar in shape to the prior, even when the entire boundary is not visible in the image (i.e., when the boundary has gaps). A level set formulation of the active contour is presented. The existence of the solution to the energy minimization is also established.We also report experimental results of the use of this contour on 2d synthetic images, ultrasound images and fMRI images. Classical active contours cannot be used in many of these images.     

基于力场分析的主动轮廓模型

传统Snake模型存在的缺点是,其初始轮廓必须靠近图像中感兴趣目标的真实边缘,否则会得到错误结果,且由于Snake模型的非凸性,结果不能进入感兴趣目标的深凹部分,很容易陷入局部极小点,由此该文提出一种基于力场分析的主动轮廓模型,详细分析了基于欧氏距离变换的距离势能力场分布,归纳出感兴趣目标上真轮廓点与假轮廓点的判别标准,建立了由曲线能量到最终结果的有效方法,避免了Snake陷入局部极小点,实验结果表明,该模型具有较大的捕获区域,能够进入感兴趣目标的深凹部分,准确提取感兴趣目标的轮廓,与GVF Snake模型相比,该模型具有很小的计算量。     

梯度向量场通量能量驱动的主动轮廓模型

提出了一种基于梯度向量场通量能量的水平集图像分割算法.通过加入约束符号距离函数的能量项,并极小化该能量函数得到的变分表达式主要具有4条优于传统主动轮廓模型的优点.一是可以克服分割弱边界目标的困难;二是水平集函数不但可以灵活初始化,而且可避免在演化过程中重新初始化为符号距离甬数;三是水平集函数数值化可采用简单的有限差分方法,计算效率得到了极大的提高;四是仅用一个初始轮廓就可以自动检测带孑L目标的内轮廓.对合成和真实图像的分割结果表明:对弱边界目标和灰度分布不均目标的分割效果分别优于测地线模型(GAC)和C-V主动轮廓模型.     

基于各向异性扩散活动轮廓模型的左心室MRI分割

结合各向异性扩散算法与梯度矢量流活动轮廓模型,提出了基于各向异性扩散活动轮廓模型并应用于心脏核磁共振图像分割;模型采用各向异性扩散方程构造活动轮廓模型的外部能量函数,得到边界更加清晰的分段平滑图像,运用梯度矢量流将边缘图梯度散射到平坦区域,可以有效抑制噪声,同时保持了目标边界;对左心室核磁共振图像的分割实验表明,该模型可以克服噪声和伪影的干扰,与原梯度矢量流模型相比具有更高的精确性和可靠性,有利于实现自动分割.     

Sobolev Active Contours

All previous geometric active contour models that have been formulated as gradient flows of various energies use the same L ²-type inner product to define the notion of gradient. Recent work has shown that this inner product induces a pathological Riemannian metric on the space of smooth curves. However, there are also undesirable features associated with the gradient flows that this inner product induces. In this paper, we reformulate the generic geometric active contour model by redefining the notion of gradient in accordance with Sobolev-type inner products. We call the resulting flows Sobolev active contours. Sobolev metrics induce favorable regularity properties in their gradient flows. In addition, Sobolev active contours favor global translations, but are not restricted to such motions; they are also less susceptible to certain types of local minima in contrast to traditional active contours. These properties are particularly useful in tracking applications. We demonstrate the general methodology by reformulating some standard edge-based and region-based active contour models as Sobolev active contours and show the substantial improvements gained in segmentation.     

融合局部和全局图像信息的活动轮廓模型

为了克服局部图像拟合模型对轮廓初始化敏感的不足,结合改进C-V模型,提出一种融合局部和全局图像信息的活动轮廓模型.首先由改进C-V模型的全局灰度拟合力和局部图像拟合模型的局部灰度拟合力的一个线性组合来构造水平集演化力,然后通过调整这2个拟合力的权重以提升该模型对轮廓初始化的灵活性,最后利用高斯滤波正则水平集函数法实现水平集函数的正则化.实验结果表明,对于一些真实和人造图像,文中模型显示了对轮廓初始化的鲁棒性,以及较好地处理灰度不均图像的能力.     

针对凹陷轮廓改进的主动轮廓模型

针对传统主动轮廓模型不能有效拟合凹陷轮廓的问题进行研究,从内部、外部能量两方面进行分析。通过模拟流体压力的思路对内部能量项中的弹性能量进行改进,提出一种针对凹陷轮廓改进的主动轮廓模型——Area Snake,并对其理论模型、实现细节和不足进行讨论。实验表明,Area Snake对凹陷轮廓有着较好的拟合性能。     

基于多尺度图像的主动轮廓线模型

主动轮廓线模型是广泛应用于数字图像处理的一种目标轮廓跟踪算法,但在实际使用过程中,现有模型易受干扰噪声及虚拟边缘的影响,且于凹陷轮廓的跟踪能力较差,在多尺度图像分析的基础上,引入梯度矢量流的概念,并改进其计算方法,提出了一种新的主动轮廓线模型,该模型利用梯度矢量流产生的引力,在图像的尺度空间中搜索目标轮廓,不仅能有效地排除干扰,搜索凹陷轮廓,而且便于引入新的约束条件,实验表明该模型有较好的鲁棒性和     

Higher Order Active Contours

We introduce a new class of active contour models that hold great promise for region and shape modelling, and we apply a special case of these models to the extraction of road networks from satellite and aerial imagery. The new models are arbitrary polynomial functionals on the space of boundaries, and thus greatly generalize the linear functionals used in classical contour energies. While classical energies are expressed as single integrals over the contour, the new energies incorporate multiple integrals, and thus describe long-range interactions between different sets of contour points. As prior terms, they describe families of contours that share complex geometric properties, without making reference to any particular shape, and they require no pose estimation. As likelihood terms, they can describe multi-point interactions between the contour and the data. To optimize the energies, we use a level set approach. The forces derived from the new energies are non-local however, thus necessitating an extension of standard level set methods. Networks are a shape family of great importance in a number of applications, including remote sensing imagery. To model them, we make a particular choice of prior quadratic energy that describes reticulated structures, and augment it with a likelihood term that couples the data at pairs of contour points to their joint geometry. Promising experimental results are shown on real images.     

Multiscale Segmentation of Three-Dimensional MR Brain Images

Segmentation of MR brain images using intensity values is severely limited owing to field inhomogeneities, susceptibility artifacts and partial volume effects. Edge based segmentation methods suffer from spurious edges and gaps in boundaries. A multiscale method to MRI brain segmentation is presented which uses both edge and intensity information. First a multiscale representation of an image is created, which can be made edge dependent to favor intra-tissue diffusion over inter-tissue diffusion. Subsequently a multiscale linking model (the hyperstack) is used to group voxels into a number of objects based on intensity. It is shown that both an improvement in accuracy and a reduction in image post-processing can be achieved if edge dependent diffusion is used instead of linear diffusion. The combination of edge dependent diffusion and intensity based linking facilitates segmentation of grey matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid with minimal user interaction. To segment the total brain (white matter plus grey matter) morphological operations are applied to remove small bridges between the brain and cranium. If the total brain is segmented, grey matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid can be segmented by joining a small number of segments. Using a supervised segmentation technique and MRI simulations of a brain phantom for validation it is shown that the errors are in the order of or smaller than reported in literature.     

基于改进的GVF模型的CT图像分割方法

活动轮廓模型被广泛应用于医学图像分割之中．文中针对CT图像的分割方法进行了探讨，提出了一种基于GVF模型的改进的活动轮廓分割法。改进方法采用轮廓中心法及引入一作用力的方法，克服了GVF模型不能处理深度凹陷区域的问题．实验结果表明，改进后的分割方法较原Snake模型及GVF模型的效果更好．