基于模糊马尔可夫场的脑部MR图像分割算法

在传统马尔可夫场模型的基础上,建立了模糊马尔可夫场模型。通过对模型的分析得出图像像素对不同类的隶属度计算公式,提出了一种高效、无监督的图像分割算法,从而实现了对脑部MR图像的精确分割。通过对模拟脑部MR图像和临床脑部MR图像分割实验,表明新算法比传统的基于马尔可夫场的图像分割算法和模糊C-均值等图像分割算法有更精确的图像分割能力。     

MRF-based texture segmentation using wavelet decomposed images

In recent textured image segmentation, Bayesian approaches capitalizing on computational efficiency of multiresolution representations have received much attention. Most of the previous researches have been based on multiresolution stochastic models which use the Gaussian pyramid image decomposition. In this paper, motivated by nonredundant directional selectivity and highly discriminative nature of the wavelet representation, we present an unsupervised textured image segmentation algorithm based on a multiscale stochastic modeling over the wavelet decomposition of image. The model, using doubly stochastic Markov random fields, captures intrascale statistical dependencies over the wavelet decomposed image and intrascale and interscale dependencies over the corresponding multiresolution region image.     

Genetic algorithms for video segmentation

The current paper presents a new genetic algorithm (GA)-based method for video segmentation. The proposed method is specifically designed to enhance the computational efficiency and quality of the segmentation results compared to standard GAs. The segmentation is performed by chromosomes that independently evolve using distributed genetic algorithms (DGAs). However, unlike conventional DGAs, the chromosomes are initiated using the segmentation results of the previous frame, instead of random values. Thereafter, only unstable chromosomes corresponding to moving object parts are evolved by crossover and mutation. As such, these mechanisms allow for effective solution space exploration and exploitation, thereby improving the performance of the proposed method in terms of speed and segmentation quality. These advantages were confirmed based on experiments where the proposed method was successfully applied to both synthetic and natural video sequences.     

Adaptive segmentation of noisy and textured images

An image segmentation algorithm is described which is based on the integration of signal model parameter estimates and maximum a posteriori labelling. The parameter estimation is based on either a maximum likelihood-based method for a quadric signal model or a maximum pseudo-likelihood based method for a Gauss-Markov signal model. The first case is applicable to standard grey-level image segmentation as well as segmentation of shaded 3D surfaces, while the second case is applicable to texture segmentation. A key aspect of the algorithm is the incorporation of a coarse to fine processing strategy which limits the search for the optimum labelling at any one resolution to a subset of labellings which are consistent with the optimum labelling at the previous coarser resolution. Consistency is in terms of a prior label model which specifies the conditional probability of a given label in terms of the labelling at the previous level of resolution. It is shown how such an approach leads to a simple relaxation procedure based on local pyramid node computations. An extension of the algorithm is also described which performs accurate inter-region boundary placement using a step-wise refinement procedure based on a simple adaptive filter. The problem of automatic determination of the number of regions is also addressed. It is shown how a simple agglomerative clustering idea, again based on pyramid node computations, can effectively solve this problem.     

Speeding up the EM algorithm for mixture model-based segmentation of magnetic resonance images

Mixture models implemented via the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm are being increasingly used in a wide range of problems in pattern recognition such as image segmentation. However, the EM algorithm requires considerable computational time in its application to huge data sets such as a three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) image of over 10 million voxels. Recently, it was shown that a sparse, incremental version of the EM algorithm could improve its rate of convergence. In this paper, we show how this modified EM algorithm can be speeded up further by adopting a multiresolution kd-tree structure in performing the E-step. The proposed algorithm outperforms some other variants of the EM algorithm for segmenting MR images of the human brain.     

Adaptive pixon represented segmentation (APRS) for 3D MR brain images based on mean shift and Markov random fields

In this paper, we proposed an adaptive pixon represented segmentation (APRS) algorithm for 3D magnetic resonance (MR) brain images. Different from traditional method, an adaptive mean shift algorithm was adopted to adaptively smooth the query image and create a pixon-based image representation. Then K-means algorithm was employed to provide an initial segmentation by classifying the pixons in image into a predefined number of tissue classes. By using this segmentation as initialization, expectation-maximization (EM) iterations composed of bias correction, a priori digital brain atlas information, and Markov random field (MRF) segmentation were processed. Pixons were assigned with final labels when the algorithm converges. The adoption of bias correction and brain atlas made the current method more suitable for brain image segmentation than the previous pixon based segmentation algorithm. The proposed method was validated on both simulated normal brain images from BrainWeb and real brain images from the IBSR public dataset. Compared with some other popular MRI segmentation methods, the proposed method exhibited a higher degree of accuracy in segmenting both simulated and real 3D MRI brain data. The experimental results were numerically assessed using Dice and Tanimoto coefficients.     

改进的遗传模糊聚类算法对医学图像的分割

利用遗传算法全局随机搜索的特点,可以解决模糊C均值聚类（FCM）算法在医学图像分割中容易陷入局部最优解的问题,但确定遗传算法的初始搜索范围时,需要借助于人的经验。为此,用收敛速度快的硬聚类算法得到的聚类中心作为参考,上下浮动划出一个较小的数据范围,作为遗传算法的初始搜索空间。该方法在避免FCM算法陷入局部最优化的同时,也加速了遗传算法的收敛过程。实验表明,该方法相对于标准的遗传模糊算法,效果要好得多。     

基于马尔可夫随机场模型的运动对象分割算法

提出了一种基于马尔可夫随机场(MRF)模型的运动分割算法,仅使用了压缩流中的运动矢量和块编码模式信息,可以在复杂场景下对运动对象有很好的分割效果.利用运动矢量量化的方法来对运动矢量进行预处理,对运动矢量进行马尔可夫建模,利用能量最小函数进行优化得到运动对象分割的效果.实验表明:与现有的方法相比,该方法可从复杂场景中更准确地对运动对象进行分割.     

An automatic statistical segmentation algorithm for extraction of fire and smoke regions

Estimation of the extent and spread of wildland fires is an important application of high spatial resolution multispectral images. This work addresses a fuzzy segmentation algorithm to map fire extent, active fire front, hot burn scar, and smoke regions based on a statistical model. The fuzzy results are useful data sources for integrated fire behavior and propagation models built using Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS) concepts that use data assimilation techniques which require error estimates or probabilities for the data parameters. The Hidden Markov Random Field (HMRF) model has been used widely in image segmentation, but it is assumed that each pixel has a particular class label belonging to a prescribed finite set. The mixed pixel problem can be addressed by modeling the fuzzy membership process as a continuous Multivariate Gaussian Markov Random Field. Techniques for estimating the class membership and model parameters are discussed. Experimental results obtained by applying this technique to two Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) images show that the proposed methodology is robust with regard to noise and variation in fire characteristics as well as background. The segmentation results of our algorithm are compared with the results of a K-means algorithm, an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm (which is very similar to the Fuzzy C-Means Clustering algorithm with entropy regularization), and an MRF-MAP algorithm. Our fuzzy algorithm achieves more consistent segmentation results than the comparison algorithms for these test images with the added advantage of simultaneously providing a proportion or error map needed for the data assimilation problem.     

Image segmentation by three-level thresholding based on maximum fuzzy entropy and genetic algorithm

In the paper, a three-level thresholding method for image segmentation is presented, based on probability partition, fuzzy partition and entropy theory. A new fuzzy entropy has been defined through probability analysis. The image is divided into three parts, namely, dark, gray and white part, whose member functions of the fuzzy region are Z-function and Π-function and S-function, respectively, while the width and attribute of the fuzzy region can be determined by maximizing fuzzy entropy. The procedure for finding the optimal combination of all the fuzzy parameters is implemented by a genetic algorithm with appropriate coding method so as to avoid useless chromosomes. The experiment results show that the proposed method gives good performance.     

改进的模糊C-均值算法在医学图像分割中的应用

针对随机选取聚类中心易使得迭代过程陷入局部最优解的缺点,提出了一种混合优化蚁群和动态模糊C-均值的图像分割方法,该方法利用蚁群算法较强处理局部极值的能力,并能动态确定聚类中心和数目.针对传统的分阶段结合遗传算法和蚁群算法的策略存在收敛速度慢,聚类精度差的问题,提出在整个优化过程综合遗传算法和蚁群算法,并在蚁群算法中引入拥挤度函数,利用遗传算法的快速性、全局收敛性提高了蚁群算法的收敛速度,同时利用蚁群算法的并行性和正反馈性提高了聚类的精确度.最后将该算法应用到医学图像分割,对比实验表明,混合算法具有很强的模糊边缘和微细边缘分割能力.     

A new iris segmentation method for non-ideal iris images

Many researchers have studied iris recognition techniques in unconstrained environments, where the probability of acquiring non-ideal iris images is very high due to off-angles, noise, blurring and occlusion by eyelashes, eyelids, glasses, and hair. Although there have been many iris segmentation methods, most focus primarily on the accurate detection with iris images which are captured in a closely controlled environment. This paper proposes a new iris segmentation method that can be used to accurately extract iris regions from non-ideal quality iris images. This research has following three novelties compared to previous works; firstly, the proposed method uses AdaBoost eye detection in order to compensate for the iris detection error caused by the two circular edge detection operations; secondly, it uses a color segmentation technique for detecting obstructions by the ghosting effects of visible light; and thirdly, if there is no extracted corneal specular reflection in the detected pupil and iris regions, the captured iris image is determined as a “closed eye” image.     

Distributed genetic algorithm for Gaussian mixture model based speaker identification

This paper presents a novel algorithm for reducing the computational complexity of identifying a speaker within a Gaussian mixture speaker model (GMM) framework. We have combined distributed genetic algorithm (DGA) and the Markov random field (MRF) to avoid typical local minima for speaker vector quantization. To improve the computation efficiency, only unstable chromosomes corresponding to speaker data parts are evolved. Identification accuracies of 93% were achieved for 100 Mandarin speakers.     

Spatial-temporal joint probability images for video segmentation

Effective annotation and content-based search for videos in a digital library require a preprocessing step of detecting, locating and classifying scene transitions, i.e., temporal video segmentation. This paper proposes a novel approach—spatial-temporal joint probability image (ST-JPI) analysis for temporal video segmentation. A joint probability image (JPI) is derived from the joint probabilities of intensity values of corresponding points in two images. The ST-JPT, which is a series of JPIs derived from consecutive video frames, presents the evolution of the intensity joint probabilities in a video. The evolution in a ST-JPI during various transitions falls into one of several well-defined linear patterns. Based on the patterns in a ST-JPI, our algorithm detects and classifies video transitions effectively.Our study shows that temporal video segmentation based on ST-JPIs is distinguished from previous methods in the following way: (1) It is effective and relatively robust not only for video cuts but also for gradual transitions; (2) It classifies transitions on the basis of predefined evolution patterns of ST-JPIs during transitions; (3) It is efficient, scalable and suitable for real-time video segmentation. Theoretical analysis and experimental results of our method are presented to illustrate its efficacy and efficiency.     

Pattern analysis of dermoscopic images based on Markov random fields

In this paper a method for detecting different patterns in dermoscopic images is presented. In order to diagnose a possible skin cancer, physicians assess the lesion based on different rules. While the most famous one is the ABCD rule (asymmetry, border, colour, diameter), the new tendency in dermatology is to classify the lesion performing a pattern analysis. Due to the colour textured appearance of these patterns, this paper presents a novel method based on Markov random field (MRF) extended for colour images that classifies images representing different dermatologic patterns. First, each image plane in L^*a^*b^* colour space is modelled as a MRF following a finite symmetric conditional model (FSCM). Coupling of colour components is taken into account by supposing that features of the MRF in the three colour planes follow a multivariate Normal distribution. Performance is analysed in different colour spaces. The best classification rate is 86% on average.     

Tissue segmentation in ultrasound images by using genetic algorithms

This paper presents a genetic based incremental neural network (GINeN) for the segmentation of tissues in ultrasound images. Performances of the GINeN and the Kohonen network are investigated for tissue segmentation in ultrasound images. Feature extraction is carried out by using continuous wavelet transform. Pixel intensities at the same spatial location on 12 wavelet planes and on the original image are considered as features, leading to 13-dimensional feature vectors. The same training set is used for the training of the Kohonen network and the GINeN.

This paper proposes the use of wavelet transform and genetic based incremental neural network together in order to increase the segmentation performance. It is observed that genetic based incremental neural network gives satisfactory segmentation performance for ultrasound images.     

Unsupervised segmentation of ultrasonic liver images by multiresolution fractal feature vector

The feasibility of selecting fractal feature vector based on multiresolution analysis to segment suspicious abnormal regions of ultrasonic liver images is described in this paper. The proposed feature extraction algorithm is based on the spatial-frequency decomposition and fractal geometry. Segmentation of various liver diseases reveals that the fractal feature vector based on multiresolution analysis is trustworthy. A quantitative characterization based on the proposed unsupervised segmentation algorithm can be utilized to establish an automatic computer-aided diagnostic system. As well, to increase the visual interpretation capability of ultrasonic liver image for junior physicians, off-line learning software is developed to investigate the visual criteria.     

EM procedures using mean field-like approximations for Markov model-based image segmentation

Image segmentation using Markov random fields involves parameter estimation in hidden Markov models for which the EM algorithm is widely used. In practice, difficulties arise due to the dependence structure in the models and approximations are required. Using ideas from the mean field approximation principle, we propose a class of EM-like algorithms in which the computation reduces to dealing with systems of independent variables. Within this class, the simulated field algorithm is a new stochastic algorithm which appears to be the most promising for its good performance and speed, on synthetic and real image experiments.     

基于遗传算法的机载图像分割

在机载图象分割中应用遗传算法,使得避免了传统图象分割中需要预先知道图象中目标所占的比例,这种方法可以使分割质量更高,运算速度更快,提高了图象分割的工作效率。