Nonlinear thresholding of multiresolution decompositions adapted to the presence of discontinuities

International audienceA new nonlinear representation of multiresolution decompositions and new thresholding adapted to the presence of discontinuities are presented and analyzed. They are based on a nonlinear modification of the multiresolution details coming from an initial (linear or nonlinear) scheme and on a data dependent thresholding. Stability results are derived. Numerical advantages are demonstrated on various numerical experiments

Unwarping of Unidirectionally Distorted EPI Images

Echo-planar imaging (EPI) is a fast nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method. Unfortunately, local magnetic field inhomogeneities induced mainly by the subject's presence cause significant geometrical distortion, predominantly along the phase-encoding direction, which must be undone to allow for meaningful further processing. So far, this aspect has been too often neglected. In this paper, we suggest a new approach using an algorithm specifically developed for the automatic registration of distorted EPI images with corresponding anatomically correct MRI images. We model the deformation field with splines, which gives us a great deal of flexibility, while comprising the affine transform as a special case. The registration criterion is least squares. Interestingly, the complexity of its evaluation does not depend on the resolution of the control grid. The spline model gives us good accuracy thanks to its high approximation order. The short support of splines leads to a fast algorithm. A multiresolution approach yields robustness and additional speed-up. The algorithm was tested on real as well as synthetic data, and the results were compared with a manual method. A wavelet-based Sobolev-type random deformation generator was developed for testing purposes. A blind test indicates that the proposed automatic method is faster, more reliable, and more precise than the manual one

Elastic image registration using parametric deformation models

The main topic of this thesis is elastic image registration for biomedical applications. We start with an overview and classification of existing registration techniques. We revisit the landmark interpolation which appears in the landmark-based registration techniques and add some generalizations. We develop a general elastic image registration algorithm. It uses a grid of uniform B-splines to describe the deformation. It also uses B-splines for image interpolation. Multiresolution in both image and deformation model spaces yields robustness and speed. First we describe a version of this algorithm targeted at finding unidirectional deformation in EPI magnetic resonance images. Then we present the enhanced and generalized version of this algorithm which is significantly faster and capable of treating multidimensional deformations. We apply this algorithm to the registration of SPECT data and to the motion estimation in ultrasound image sequences. A semi-automatic version of the registration algorithm is capable of accepting expert hints in the form of soft landmark constraints. Much fewer landmarks are needed and the results are far superior compared to pure landmark registration. In the second part of this thesis, we deal with the problem of generalized sampling and variational reconstruction. We explain how to reconstruct an object starting from several measurements using arbitrary linear operators. This comprises the case of traditional as well as generalized sampling. Among all possible reconstructions, we choose the one minimizing an a priori given quadratic variational criterion. We give an overview of the method and present several examples of applications. We also provide the mathematical details of the theory and discuss the choice of the variational criterion to be used

Adaptive Wavelet Methods for Variational Formulations of Nonlinear Elliptic PDES on Tensor-Product Domains

This thesis is concerned with the numerical solution of boundary value problems (BVPs) governed by semilinear elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). Semilinearity here refers to a special case of nonlinearity, i.e., the case of a linear operator combined with a nonlinear operator acting as a perturbation. In general, such BVPs are solved in an iterative fashion. It is, therefore, of primal importance to develop efficient schemes that guarantee convergence of the numerically approximated PDE solutions towards the exact solution. Unlike the typical finite element method (FEM) theory for the numerical solution of the nonlinear operators, the new adaptive wavelet theory proposed in [Cohen.Dahmen.DeVore:2003:a, Cohen.Dahmen.DeVore:2003:b] guarantees convergence of adaptive schemes with fixed approximation rates. Furthermore, optimal, i.e., linear, complexity estimates of such adaptive solution methods have been established. These achievements are possible since wavelets allow for a completely new perspective to attack BVPs: namely, to represent PDEs in their original infinite dimensional realm. Wavelets are the ideal candidate for this purpose since they allow to represent functions in infinite-dimensional general Banach or Hilbert spaces and operators on these. The purpose of adaptivity in the solution process of nonlinear PDEs is to invest extra degrees of freedom (DOFs) only where necessary, i.e., where the exact solution requires a higher number of function coefficients to represent it accurately. Wavelets in this context represent function bases with special analytical properties, e.g., the wavelets considered herein are piecewise polynomials, have compact support and norm equivalences between certain function spaces and the l_2 sequence spaces of expansion coefficients exist. This new paradigm presents nevertheless some problems in the design of practical algorithms. Imposing a certain structure, a tree structure, remedies these problems completely while restricting the applicability of the theoretical scheme only very slightly. It turns out that the considered approach naturally fits the theoretical background of nonlinear PDEs. The practical realization on a computer, however, requires to reduce the relevant ingredients to finite-dimensional quantities. It is this particular aspect that is the guiding principle of this thesis. This theoretical framework is implemented in the course of this thesis in a truly dimensionally unrestricted adaptive wavelet program code, which allows one to harness the proven theoretical results for the first time when numerically solving the above mentioned BVPs. In the implementation, great emphasis is put on speed, i.e., overall execution speed and convergence speed, while not sacrificing on the freedom to adapt many important numerical details at runtime and not at the compilation stage. This means that the user can test and choose wavelets perfectly suitable for any specific task without having to rebuild the software. The computational overhead of these freedoms is minimized by caching any interim data, e.g., values for the preconditioners and polynomial representations of wavelets in multiple dimensions. Exploiting the structure in the construction of wavelet spaces prevents this step from becoming a burden on the memory requirements while at the same time providing a huge performance boost because necessary computations are only executed as needed and then only once. The essential BVP boundary conditions are enforced using trace operators, which leads to a saddle point problem formulation. This particular treatment of boundary conditions is very flexible, which especially useful if changing boundary conditions have to be accommodated, e.g., when iteratively solving control problems with Dirichlet boundary control based upon the herein considered PDE operators. Another particular feature is that saddle point problems allow for a variety of different geometrical setups, including fictitious domain approaches. Numerical studies of 2D and 3D PDEs and BVPs demonstrate the feasibility and performance of the developed schemes. Local transformations of the wavelet basis are employed to lower the absolute condition number of the already optimally preconditioned operators. The effect of these basis transformations can be seen in the absolute runtimes of solution processes, where the semilinear PDEs are solved as fast as in fractions of a second. This task can be accomplished using simple Richardson-style solvers, e.g., the method of steepest descent, or more involved solvers like the Newton's method. The BVPs are solved using an adaptive Uzawa algorithm, which requires repeated solution of semilinear PDE sub-problems. The efficiency of different numerical methods is compared and the theoretical optimal convergence rates and complexity estimates are verified. In summary, this thesis presents for the first time a numerically competitive implementation of a new theoretical paradigm to solve semilinear elliptic PDEs in arbitrary space dimensions with a complete convergence and complexity theory

Wavelets and Subband Coding

First published in 1995, Wavelets and Subband Coding offered a unified view of the exciting field of wavelets and their discrete-time cousins, filter banks, or subband coding. The book developed the theory in both continuous and discrete time, and presented important applications. During the past decade, it filled a useful need in explaining a new view of signal processing based on flexible time-frequency analysis and its applications. Since 2007, the authors now retain the copyright and allow open access to the book