APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUMS FOR DETECTING A REGION OF INTEREST IN A MEDICAL IMAGE
A method is provided that includes receiving a digital image, and detecting a region of interest of the digital image. Detecting a region of interest includes thresholding the digital image to create a corresponding binary image, and identifying one or more connected components in the binary image. The binary image includes a plurality of pixels each of which is one of only two possible colors, and each of the connected component(s) comprising a set of pixels of the first color such that any two pixels in the set are joined by a continuous path of pixels of the first color. Detecting a region of interest also includes identifying a largest connected component from the connected component(s), and determining, as the region of interest of the digital image, coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest predetermined shape that contains the largest connected component.
1 . An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:
receiving a digital image; and
detecting a region of interest of the digital image, detecting a region of interest including:
thresholding the digital image to create a corresponding binary image, the binary image comprising a plurality of pixels each of which is one of only two possible colors, the two possible colors being a first color and a second color;
identifying one or more connected components in the binary image, each connected component comprising a set of pixels of the first color such that any two pixels in the set are joined by a continuous path of pixels of the first color;
identifying a largest connected component from the identified one or more connected components; and
determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest predetermined shape that contains the largest connected component, the respective area of the digital image being designated as a region of interest of the digital image.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters based on one or more attributes of the digital image, including selecting a method for determining a threshold from a plurality of different methods for determining a threshold,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprises determining a threshold according to the selected method for determining a threshold, and thresholding the digital image based on the determined threshold.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the selected method for determining a threshold is variable based on one or more attributes of the digital image.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein detecting a region of interest further comprises:
shrinking the digital image,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprising thresholding the shrunken digital image, and
wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the shrunken digital image, and determining corresponding coordinates of the digital image from the coordinates of the area of the shrunken image and dimensions of the digital image.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the memory stores executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a shrinkage factor representing an amount of shrinkage of the image,
wherein shrinking the digital image comprises shrinking the digital image based on the shrinkage factor.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a selected level of connectedness,
wherein identifying one or more connected components comprises identifying one or more connected components according to the selected level of connectedness.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the digital image comprises a digital mammography image, and wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest rectangle that contains the largest connected component.
8 . A method comprising:
receiving a digital image; and
detecting a region of interest of the digital image, detecting a region of interest including:
thresholding the digital image to create a corresponding binary image, the binary image comprising a plurality of pixels each of which is one of only two possible colors, the two possible colors being a first color and a second color;
identifying one or more connected components in the binary image, each connected component comprising a set of pixels of the first color such that any two pixels in the set are joined by a continuous path of pixels of the first color;
identifying a largest connected component from the identified one or more connected components; and
determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest predetermined shape that contains the largest connected component, the respective area of the digital image being designated as a region of interest of the digital image,
wherein receiving a digital image and detecting a region of interest are performed by a processor configured to receive a digital image and detect a region of interest.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining or receiving one or more parameters based on one or more attributes of the digital image, including selecting a method for determining a threshold from a plurality of different methods for determining a threshold,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprises determining a threshold according to the selected method for determining a threshold, and thresholding the digital image based on the determined threshold.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the selected method for determining a threshold is variable based on one or more attributes of the digital image.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein detecting a region of interest further comprises:
shrinking the digital image,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprising thresholding the shrunken digital image, and
wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the shrunken digital image, and determining corresponding coordinates of the digital image from the coordinates of the area of the shrunken image and dimensions of the digital image.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a shrinkage factor representing an amount of shrinkage of the image,
wherein shrinking the digital image comprises shrinking the digital image based on the shrinkage factor.
13 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a selected level of connectedness,
wherein identifying one or more connected components comprises identifying one or more connected components according to the selected level of connectedness.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the digital image comprises a digital mammography image, and wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest rectangle that contains the largest connected component.
15 . A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:
receiving a digital image; and
detecting a region of interest of the digital image, detecting a region of interest including:
thresholding the digital image to create a corresponding binary image, the binary image comprising a plurality of pixels each of which is one of only two possible colors, the two possible colors being a first color and a second color;
identifying one or more connected components in the binary image, each connected component comprising a set of pixels of the first color such that any two pixels in the set are joined by a continuous path of pixels of the first color;
identifying a largest connected component from the identified one or more connected components; and
determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest predetermined shape that contains the largest connected component, the respective area of the digital image being designated as a region of interest of the digital image.
16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters based on one or more attributes of the digital image, including selecting a method for determining a threshold from a plurality of different methods for determining a threshold,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprises determining a threshold according to the selected method for determining a threshold, and thresholding the digital image based on the determined threshold.
17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the selected method for determining a threshold is variable based on one or more attributes of the digital image.
18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein detecting a region of interest further comprises:
shrinking the digital image,
wherein thresholding the digital image comprising thresholding the shrunken digital image, and
wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the shrunken digital image, and determining corresponding coordinates of the digital image from the coordinates of the area of the shrunken image and dimensions of the digital image.
19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a shrinkage factor representing an amount of shrinkage of the image,
wherein shrinking the digital image comprises shrinking the digital image based on the shrinkage factor.
20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further perform the following:
determining or receiving one or more parameters including a selected level of connectedness,
wherein identifying one or more connected components comprises identifying one or more connected components according to the selected level of connectedness.
21 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the digital image comprises a digital mammography image, and wherein determining coordinates of an area of the digital image comprises determining coordinates of an area of the digital image defining a smallest rectangle that contains the largest connected component.