The use of moving contrast sweep to increase the effectiveness of linear, non-linear and midtone shift contrast enhancement in mammography

Issue title: Intelligent Knowledge Processing and Decision Making Techniques

Guest editors: Chee Peng Lim, Jadranka Sunde and Lakhmi C. Jain

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nordin, Zailani Mohd^a | Isa, Nor Ashidi Mat^{a; *} | Ngah, Umi Kalthum^a | Zamli, Kamal Zuhairi^a | Aziz, Mohd Ezane^b

Affiliations: [a] School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia | [b] School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Tel.: +604 5996051; Fax: +604 5941023; E-mail: ashidi@eng.usm.my

Abstract: Low contrast in mammographic image has always made detection of subtle signs such as the presence of micro calcification within dense tissue a challenge. Therefore, numerous researches have been conducted on contrast enhancement technique for mammographic images. However, most of these methods focus on enhancing specific range of intensity level producing an enhanced version of the original image. This paper proposes a new approach in dealing with contrast enhancement for mammographic images. Instead of producing just a single image, the approach proposed here will generate multiple different images where each of them corresponds to a different range of intensity level. These images will then be combined together to form frames of a moving video which would display seamless transition from one intensity level to another. As a result, the radiologist who is performing visual inspection of the image can sweep through the entire range of intensity level of the image which has been contrast enhanced.

Keywords: Mammogram, mammography, mammographic, contrast enhancement, contrast sweep

DOI: 10.3233/IDT-2009-0051

Journal: Intelligent Decision Technologies, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 101-113, 2009