Application of a Mamdani-type fuzzy rule-based system to segment periventricular cerebral veins in susceptibility-weighted images

This paper presents an algorithm designed to segment veins in the periventricular region of the brain in susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance images. The proposed algorithm is based on a Mamdani-type fuzzy rule-based system that enables enhancement of veins within periventricular regions of interest as the first step. Segmentation is achieved after determining the cut-off value providing the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity to establish the suitability of each pixel to belong to a cerebral vein. Performance of the algorithm in susceptibility-weighted images acquired in healthy volunteers showed very good segmentation, with a small number of false positives. The results were not affected by small changes in the size and location of the regions of interest. The algorithm also enabled detection of differences in the visibility of periventricular veins between healthy subjects and multiple sclerosis patients. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.Postprint (author's final draft

Medical imaging analysis with artificial neural networks

Given that neural networks have been widely reported in the research community of medical imaging, we provide a focused literature survey on recent neural network developments in computer-aided diagnosis, medical image segmentation and edge detection towards visual content analysis, and medical image registration for its pre-processing and post-processing, with the aims of increasing awareness of how neural networks can be applied to these areas and to provide a foundation for further research and practical development. Representative techniques and algorithms are explained in detail to provide inspiring examples illustrating: (i) how a known neural network with fixed structure and training procedure could be applied to resolve a medical imaging problem; (ii) how medical images could be analysed, processed, and characterised by neural networks; and (iii) how neural networks could be expanded further to resolve problems relevant to medical imaging. In the concluding section, a highlight of comparisons among many neural network applications is included to provide a global view on computational intelligence with neural networks in medical imaging

A survey of fuzzy rule-based image segmentation techniques

This paper describes the various fuzzy rule based techniques for image segmentation. Fuzzy rule based segmentation techniques can incorporate domain expert knowledge and manipulate numerical as well as linguistic data. They are also capable of drawing partial inference using fuzzy IF-THEN rules. For these reasons they have been extensively applied in medical imaging. But these rules are application domain specific and it is very difficult to define the rules either manually or automatically so that the segementation can be achieved successfully

ART Neural Networks: Distributed Coding and ARTMAP Applications

ART (Adaptive Resonance Theory) neural networks for fast, stable learning and prediction have been applied in a variety of areas. Applications include airplane design and manufacturing, automatic target recognition, financial forecasting, machine tool monitoring, digital circuit design, chemical analysis, and robot vision. Supervised ART architectures, called ARTMAP systems, feature internal control mechanisms that create stable recognition categories of optimal size by maximizing code compression while minimizing predictive error in an on-line setting. Special-purpose requirements of various application domains have led to a number of ARTMAP variants, including fuzzy ARTMAP, ART-EMAP, Gaussian ARTMAP, and distributed ARTMAP. ARTMAP has been used for a variety of applications, including computer-assisted medical diagnosis. Medical databases present many of the challenges found in general information management settings where speed, efficiency, ease of use, and accuracy are at a premium. A direct goal of improved computer-assisted medicine is to help deliver quality emergency care in situations that may be less than ideal. Working with these problems has stimulated a number of ART architecture developments, including ARTMAP-IC [1]. This paper describes a recent collaborative effort, using a new cardiac care database for system development, has brought together medical statisticians and clinicians at the New England Medical Center with researchers developing expert systems and neural networks, in order to create a hybrid method for medical diagnosis. The paper also considers new neural network architectures, including distributed ART {dART), a real-time model of parallel distributed pattern learning that permits fast as well as slow adaptation, without catastrophic forgetting. Local synaptic computations in the dART model quantitatively match the paradoxical phenomenon of Markram-Tsodyks [2] redistribution of synaptic efficacy, as a consequence of global system hypotheses.Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0409, N00014-95-1-0657

Fuzzy Logic and Singular Value Decomposition based Through Wall Image Enhancement

Singular value decomposition based through wall image enhancement is proposed which is capable of discriminating target, noise and clutter signals. The overlapping boundaries of clutter, noise and target signals are separated using fuzzy logic. Fuzzy inference engine is used to assign weights to different spectral components. K-means clustering is used for suitable selection of fuzzy parameters. Proposed scheme significantly works well for extracting multiple targets in heavy cluttered through wall images. Simulation results are compared on the basis of mean square error, peak signal to noise ratio and visual inspection

ARTMAP Neural Networks for Information Fusion and Data Mining: Map Production and Target Recognition Methodologies

The Sensor Exploitation Group of MIT Lincoln Laboratory incorporated an early version of the ARTMAP neural network as the recognition engine of a hierarchical system for fusion and data mining of registered geospatial images. The Lincoln Lab system has been successfully fielded, but is limited to target I non-target identifications and does not produce whole maps. Procedures defined here extend these capabilities by means of a mapping method that learns to identify and distribute arbitrarily many target classes. This new spatial data mining system is designed particularly to cope with the highly skewed class distributions of typical mapping problems. Specification of canonical algorithms and a benchmark testbed has enabled the evaluation of candidate recognition networks as well as pre- and post-processing and feature selection options. The resulting mapping methodology sets a standard for a variety of spatial data mining tasks. In particular, training pixels are drawn from a region that is spatially distinct from the mapped region, which could feature an output class mix that is substantially different from that of the training set. The system recognition component, default ARTMAP, with its fully specified set of canonical parameter values, has become the a priori system of choice among this family of neural networks for a wide variety of applications.Air Force Office of Scientific Research (F49620-01-1-0397, F49620-01-1-0423); Office of Naval Research (N00014-01-1-0624