Feature detection from echocardiography images using local phase information

Ultrasound images are characterized by their special speckle appearance, low contrast, and low signal-to-noise ratio. It is always challenging to extract important clinical information from these images. An important step before formal analysis is to transform the image to significant features of interest. Intensity based methods do not perform particularly well on ultrasound images. However, it has been previously shown that these images respond well to local phase-based methods which are theoretically intensity-invariant and thus suitable for ultrasound images. We extend the previous local phase-based method to detect features using the local phase computed from monogenic signal which is an isotropic extension of the analytic signal. We apply our method of multiscale feature-asymmetry measurement and local phase-gradient computation to cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography) images for the detection of endocardial, epicardial and myocardial centerline

Edge detection in microscopy images using curvelets

BACKGROUND: Despite significant progress in imaging technologies, the efficient detection of edges and elongated features in images of intracellular and multicellular structures acquired using light or electron microscopy is a challenging and time consuming task in many laboratories. RESULTS: We present a novel method, based on the discrete curvelet transform, to extract a directional field from the image that indicates the location and direction of the edges. This directional field is then processed using the non-maximal suppression and thresholding steps of the Canny algorithm to trace along the edges and mark them. Optionally, the edges may then be extended along the directions given by the curvelets to provide a more connected edge map. We compare our scheme to the Canny edge detector and an edge detector based on Gabor filters, and show that our scheme performs better in detecting larger, elongated structures possibly composed of several step or ridge edges. CONCLUSION: The proposed curvelet based edge detection is a novel and competitive approach for imaging problems. We expect that the methodology and the accompanying software will facilitate and improve edge detection in images available using light or electron microscopy

A geometric model of multi-scale orientation preference maps via Gabor functions

In this paper we present a new model for the generation of orientation preference maps in the primary visual cortex (V1), considering both orientation and scale features. First we undertake to model the functional architecture of V1 by interpreting it as a principal fiber bundle over the 2-dimensional retinal plane by introducing intrinsic variables orientation and scale. The intrinsic variables constitute a fiber on each point of the retinal plane and the set of receptive profiles of simple cells is located on the fiber. Each receptive profile on the fiber is mathematically interpreted as a rotated Gabor function derived from an uncertainty principle. The visual stimulus is lifted in a 4-dimensional space, characterized by coordinate variables, position, orientation and scale, through a linear filtering of the stimulus with Gabor functions. Orientation preference maps are then obtained by mapping the orientation value found from the lifting of a noise stimulus onto the 2-dimensional retinal plane. This corresponds to a Bargmann transform in the reducible representation of the $\text{SE}(2)=\mathbb{R}^2\times S^1$ group. A comparison will be provided with a previous model based on the Bargman transform in the irreducible representation of the $\text{SE}(2)$ group, outlining that the new model is more physiologically motivated. Then we present simulation results related to the construction of the orientation preference map by using Gabor filters with different scales and compare those results to the relevant neurophysiological findings in the literature

Basic functions for early vision

It is commonly agreed on that the first step in early vision consists of projections of the image to a set of basis functions. Usually the spatial distribution of the basis functions is homogeneous and the projection is a convolution but in general this will not be the case. In the literature there is a wealth of different basis functions, each of them optimal with respect to certain criteria. On the other hand, there seems to be a convergence towards derivatives of Gaussians or harmonic modulations of Gaussians (Gabor functions). In this report we discuss the principles and analysing methods underlying the choice of these functions. One of these methods that recently became of exceptional importance is the energy/phase representation. We investigate in detail the quality of succesive orders of derivatives of Gaussians as odd/even pairs for the energy/phase concept. In addition we work out to which extent derivatives of Gaussians can be approximated by Gabor functions