A novel optimized neutrosophic k-means using genetic algorithm for skin lesion detection in dermoscopy images

This paper implemented a new skin lesion detection method based on the genetic algorithm (GA) for optimizing the neutrosophic set (NS) operation to reduce the indeterminacy on the dermoscopy images. Then, k-means clustering is applied to segment the skin lesion regions

A cascaded classification-segmentation reversible system for computer-aided detection and cells counting in microscopic peripheral blood smear basophils and eosinophils images

Computer-aided image analysis has a pivotal role in automated counting and classification of white blood cells (WBCs) in peripheral blood images. Due to their different characteristics, our proposed approach is based on investigating the variations between the basophils and eosinophils in terms of their color histogram, size, and shape before performing the segmentation process. Accordingly, we proposed a cascaded system using a classification-based segmentation process, called classification-segmentation reversible system (CSRS). Prior to applying the CSRS system, a Histogram-based Object to Background Disparity (HOBD) metric was deduced to determine the most appropriate color plane for performing the initial WBC detection (first segmentation). Investigating the local histogram features of both classes resulted in a 92.4% initial classification accuracy using the third-degree polynomial support vector machine (SVM) method. Subsequently, in the proposed CSRS approach, transformation-based segmentation algorithms were developed to fit the specific requirements of each of the two predicted classes. The proposed CSRS system is used, where the images from an initial classification process are fed into a second segmentation process for each class separately. The segmentation results demonstrated a similarity index of 94.9% for basophils, and 94.1% for eosinophils. Moreover, an average counting accuracy of 97.4% for both classes was achieved. In addition, a second classification was carried out after applying the CSRS, achieving a 5.2% increase in accuracy compared to the initial classification process

Prediction of harvestable energy for self-powered wearable healthcare devices: filling a gap

Self-powered or autonomously driven wearable devices are touted to revolutionize the personalized healthcare industry, promising sustainable medical care for a large population of healthcare seekers. Current wearable devices rely on batteries for providing the necessary energy to the various electronic components. However, to ensure continuous and uninterrupted operation, these wearable devices need to scavenge energy from their surroundings. Different energy sources have been used to power wearable devices. These include predictable energy sources such as solar energy and radio frequency, as well as unpredictable energy from the human body. Nevertheless, these energy sources are either intermittent or deliver low power densities. Therefore, being able to predict or forecast the amount of harvestable energy over time enables the wearable to intelligently manage and plan its own energy resources more effectively. Several prediction approaches have been proposed in the context of energy harvesting wireless sensor network (EH-WSN) nodes. In their architectural design, these nodes are very similar to self-powered wearable devices. However, additional factors need to be considered to ensure a deeper market penetration of truly autonomous wearables for healthcare applications, which include low-cost, low-power, small-size, high-performance and lightweight. In this paper, we review the energy prediction approaches that were originally proposed for EH-WSN nodes and critique their application in wearable healthcare devices. Our comparison is based on their prediction accuracy, memory requirement, and execution time. We conclude that statistical techniques are better designed to meet the needs of short-term predictions, while long-term predictions require the hybridization of several linear and non-linear machine learning techniques. In addition to the recommendations, we discuss the challenges and future perspectives of these technique in our review

Cascaded Hough Transform-Based Hair Mask Generation and Harmonic Inpainting for Automated Hair Removal from Dermoscopy Images

Restoring information obstructed by hair is one of the main issues for the accurate analysis and segmentation of skin images. For retrieving pixels obstructed by hair, the proposed system converts dermoscopy images into the L*a*b* color space, then principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to produce grayscale images. Afterward, the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and the average filter are implemented to enhance the grayscale image. Subsequently, the binary image is generated using the iterative thresholding method. After that, the Hough transform (HT) is applied to each image block to generate the hair mask. Finally, the hair pixels are removed by harmonic inpainting. The performance of the proposed automated hair removal was evaluated by applying the proposed system to the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) dermoscopy dataset as well as to clinical images. Six performance evaluation metrics were measured, namely the mean squared error (MSE), the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the structural similarity index (SSIM), the universal quality image index (UQI), and the correlation (C). Using the clinical dataset, the system achieved MSE, PSNR, SNR, SSIM, UQI, and C values of 34.7957, 66.98, 42.39, 0.9813, 0.9801, and 0.9985, respectively. The results demonstrated that the proposed system could satisfy the medical diagnostic requirements and achieve the best performance compared to the state-of-art