Efficient Bone Detector and Geometric Descriptor for X-Ray Imaging

Abstract

Detection of bone area in digital X-ray images and methods of comparing such images on the basis on their content is still an issue which can be substantially improved. In this paper we present a new method of efficient bone identification and its description by a collection of simple geometrical shapes. The idea of this kind of bones description was to developed a method that could reduce the amount of data to minimum. The solution enables fast comparison of X-Ray images by checking small amount of data. This kind of geometric description of bone area is designed to create a robust bone descriptor which will be used as image pattern for image comparison method. The assumption is to create a descriptor of X-ray digital image content, mining them in large databases and search and compare X-ray images on the basis of their content. The achievement of the objectives was possible through the use of an edge detection method modified by the authors. Application of our method of edge detection gives much more satisfactory results and possibilities to further process medical images than commonly used methods of edge detection.