Human visual perception-based grayscale contrast enhancement with adaptive window settings in computed tomography images

IF 2.2 4区 医学 Q3 RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING
Wei Zhou, Yi Tian
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Grayscale contrast plays a significant role in medical imaging. This is due to the fact that visual examination, where images are represented with different gray shades on display devices, is essential in current medical applications.

Purpose

The effective contrast enhancement should have the ability to provide sufficient grayscale contrast and natural image appearance in line with human visual perception (HVP). To achieve the goal, the paper proposes a novel method for grayscale contrast improvement in computed tomography (CT) diagnostics.

Methods

A new quantitative physical metric incorporating certain human visual characteristics, termed as contrast-perceived to spatial frequency ratio (CPSFR), is presented to assess the perceptual quality of grayscale-based images. The window settings achieved by maximizing CPSFR, Window Settings Automatic, was evaluated and compared with Window Settings Preset and Window Settings Manual both of which are most used in CT diagnostics in terms of target detectability and diagnostic satisfaction. Experiments were carried out with 720 phantom images and 80 patient images. In phantom study, images were acquired with the routine body protocol at varying dose levels and assessed by four CT physicists for identifying signal-present or signal-absent. In clinical study, images with liver lesions were evaluated and rated by three radiologists with a 4-point diagnostic quality score.

Results

The phantom study indicated a statistically significant improvement with Window Settings Automatic, as compared to Window Settings Preset and Window Settings Manual (all p < 0.01) in accuracy and sensitivity for consensus readings. And the clinical study demonstrated Window Settings Automatic had the distinct advantage over other candidates (highest mean score 3.0; > 40% of all top-scoring votes).

Conclusions

The proposed method is capable of enhancing grayscale contrast in the region that really interests observers and yielding natural image appearance well suited to human visual perception to improve target detectability and diagnostic performance.

Abstract Image

基于人类视觉感知的灰度对比度增强与自适应窗口设置的计算机断层扫描图像。
背景:灰度对比在医学成像中起着重要的作用。这是因为视觉检查在当前的医疗应用中是必不可少的,因为图像在显示设备上以不同的灰色阴影表示。目的:有效的对比度增强应能够提供足够的灰度对比度和符合人类视觉感知(HVP)的自然图像外观。为了实现这一目标,本文提出了一种提高CT诊断中灰度对比度的新方法。方法:提出了一种新的定量物理度量,结合某些人类视觉特征,称为对比感知空间频率比(CPSFR),用于评估基于灰度的图像的感知质量。通过最大化CPSFR实现的窗口设置,即窗口设置自动,被评估并与窗口设置预设和窗口设置手动进行比较,这两者在CT诊断中最常用的目标可检测性和诊断满意度。实验用720张幻像和80张患者像进行。在幻像研究中,使用不同剂量水平的常规身体方案获得图像,并由四名CT物理学家评估以识别信号存在或信号缺失。在临床研究中,有肝脏病变的图像由三名放射科医生以4分的诊断质量评分进行评估和评定。结果:幻影研究表明,与窗口设置预设和窗口设置手动(所有得分最高的选票的40%)相比,窗口设置自动在统计上有显着改善。结论:所提出的方法能够增强观察者真正感兴趣的区域的灰度对比度,并产生适合人类视觉感知的自然图像外观,从而提高目标的可检测性和诊断性能。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.60
自引率
19.00%
发文量
331
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics is an international Open Access publication dedicated to clinical medical physics. JACMP welcomes original contributions dealing with all aspects of medical physics from scientists working in the clinical medical physics around the world. JACMP accepts only online submission. JACMP will publish: -Original Contributions: Peer-reviewed, investigations that represent new and significant contributions to the field. Recommended word count: up to 7500. -Review Articles: Reviews of major areas or sub-areas in the field of clinical medical physics. These articles may be of any length and are peer reviewed. -Technical Notes: These should be no longer than 3000 words, including key references. -Letters to the Editor: Comments on papers published in JACMP or on any other matters of interest to clinical medical physics. These should not be more than 1250 (including the literature) and their publication is only based on the decision of the editor, who occasionally asks experts on the merit of the contents. -Book Reviews: The editorial office solicits Book Reviews. -Announcements of Forthcoming Meetings: The Editor may provide notice of forthcoming meetings, course offerings, and other events relevant to clinical medical physics. -Parallel Opposed Editorial: We welcome topics relevant to clinical practice and medical physics profession. The contents can be controversial debate or opposed aspects of an issue. One author argues for the position and the other against. Each side of the debate contains an opening statement up to 800 words, followed by a rebuttal up to 500 words. Readers interested in participating in this series should contact the moderator with a proposed title and a short description of the topic
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