11/23/2022

MCS 351: Medical Image Processing

Image Segmentation

Dr Rashad Ragab
Math. Dept., Helwan University
[email protected]

The Segmentation Problem

Segmentation attempts to partition the pixels of

an image into groups that strongly correlate
with the objects in an image
Typically the first step in any automated
computer vision application

1
 11/23/2022

Image Segmentation

Group similar components (such as, pixels in an
image, image frames in a video) to obtain a compact
representation.

Applications: Finding tumors, veins, etc. in medical
images, finding targets in satellite/aerial images,
finding people in surveillance images, summarizing
video, etc.

Methods: Thresholding, region growing, k-means.

Bahadir K. Gunturk EE 7730 - Image Analysis I 3

Image Segmentation

Segmentation algorithms for monochrome images
generally are based on one of two basic properties of gray-
scale values:
 Discontinuity

The approach is to partition an image based on abrupt changes
in gray-scale levels.

The principal areas of interest within this category are detection
of isolated points, lines, and edges in an image.
 Similarity

The principal approaches in this category are based on
thresholding, region growing, and region splitting/merging.

Bahadir K. Gunturk EE 7730 - Image Analysis I 4

2
 11/23/2022

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)
Segmentation Examples

Detection Of Discontinuities

There are three basic types of grey level

discontinuities that we tend to look for in digital
images:
 Points
 Lines
 Edges
We typically find discontinuities using masks
and correlation

3
 11/23/2022

Point Detection
Point detection can be achieved simply
Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

using the mask below:

Points are detected at those pixels in the

subsequent filtered image that are above a
set threshold

Point Detection (cont…)

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

X-ray image of Result of point Result of

a turbine blade detection thresholding

4
 11/23/2022

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)
Line Detection

The next level of complexity is to try to detect

lines
The masks below will extract lines that are one
pixel thick and running in a particular direction

Line Detection (cont…)

Binary image of a wire
bond mask
Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

After
Result of
processing
thresholding
with -45° line
filtering result
detector

5
 11/23/2022

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)
Edge Detection

An edge is a set of connected pixels that lie on

the boundary between two regions

Edges & Derivatives

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

We have already spoken

about how derivatives
are used to find
discontinuities
1st derivative tells us
where an edge is
2nd derivative can
be used to show
edge direction

6
 11/23/2022

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)
Derivatives & Noise

Derivative based edge detectors are extremely

sensitive to noise
We need to keep this in mind

Common Edge Detectors

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

Given a 3*3 region of an image the following

edge detection filters can be used

7
 11/23/2022

Edge Detection Example

Original Image Horizontal Gradient Component
Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

Vertical Gradient Component Combined Edge Image

Edge Detection Problems

Often, problems arise in edge detection in that

there are is too much detail
For example, the brickwork in the previous
example
One way to overcome this is to smooth images
prior to edge detection

8
 11/23/2022

Edge Detection Example With Smoothing

Original Image Horizontal Gradient Component
Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

Vertical Gradient Component Combined Edge Image

Laplacian Edge Detection

We encountered the 2nd-order derivative based

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

Laplacian filter already

The Laplacian is typically not used by itself as it

is too sensitive to noise
Usually then used for edge detection the
Laplacian is combined with a smoothing
Gaussian filter

9
 11/23/2022

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)
Laplacian Of Gaussian

The Laplacian of Gaussian (or Mexican hat)

filter uses the Gaussian for noise removal and
the Laplacian for edge detection

Laplacian Of Gaussian Example

Images taken from Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing (2002)

10
 11/23/2022

Edge Linking and Boundary Detection

Local Processing

Global Processing

Graph-Theoretic Techniques

Local Processing

Edge Linking using gradient and gradient
direction.

11
11/23/2022

12
 11/23/2022

Graph-Theoretic Techniques

13
11/23/2022

14
11/23/2022

15
11/23/2022

16