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Digital image processing
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Sampling
A continuous time signal can be represented in its samples and can be recovered back
when sampling frequency fs is greater than or equal to the twice the highest frequency
component of message signal. i. e.
fs≥2fm.fs≥2fm.
Proof: Consider a continuous time signal x(t). The spectrum of x(t) is a band limited to
fm Hz i.e. the spectrum of x(t) is zero for |ω|>ωm.
Sampling of input signal x(t) can be obtained by multiplying x(t) with an impulse train
δ(t) of period Ts. The output of multiplier is a discrete signal called sampled signal
which is represented with y(t) in the following diagrams:
Here, you can observe that the sampled signal takes the period of impulse. The
process of sampling can be explained by the following mathematical expression:
To reconstruct x(t), you must recover input signal spectrum X(ω) from sampled signal
spectrum Y(ω), which is possible when there is no overlapping between the cycles of
Y(ω).
Possibility of sampled frequency spectrum with different conditions is given by the
following diagrams:
Aliasing Effect
The overlapped region in case of under sampling represents aliasing effect, which can
be removed by
considering fs >2fm
By using anti aliasing filters.
Quantization
image characteristics with processing
Some type of digital image processing is used with most of the medical
imaging modalities.
There are several digital processing methods that can be used to adjust the contrast
characteristics of an image. The two methods that we will consider here are:
• Look Up Table (LUT) processing
• Windowing
Both of these are used in digital radiography as well as with many of the
other imaging modalities.
Let's recall that a LUT indicates what number is to be substituted for each pixel value
during the processing of the image.
It is very helpful to show this relationship between the original pixel values and the
new values with a graph as we see here.
Here we are starting with a simple straight-line or linear graph that shows that the
substituted number is the same as the original image pixel value.
Processing with this LUT does not change the image, it just introduces us to the
concept of LUTs.
LUT Curve
Here we see that relationship shown as a curve. Note that the values and positions on
the scale for the three pixel values represented by the colors ( yellow, green, and red)
are now different in the processed image.
You might recognize the shape of this curve as being similar to that of a radiographic
film characteristic (H & D) curve. That is intentional. By processing a digital
radiograph with a LUT with this characteristic it then takes on some of the familiar
contrast "look" of a radiograph recorded on film.
Selection of LUTs
One of the advantages of digital processing is that the processing parameters (factors)
can be selected to produce images with different contrast characteristics.
Like the characteristic curve of film, the slope of the curve at every point represents
how the contrast will be changed by the processing. Where the curve has a high slope
(steep) the contrast will be increased by the processing. If the slope is small (less than
450) the contrast will be decreased by the processing.
The curve with the greater slope shown here will produce an image with high
contrast. The one with less slope simulates the latitude type film that is used for chest
imaging. We will see the effect of processing with the inverted curve a little later.
In the typical digital radiographic system, a variety of LUTs are installed.
The appropriate LUT is then automatically selected to give the desired contrast
characteristics to match the type of procedure (chest, extremity, etc) that is designated
by the operator.
The usual procedure is to use processing, as illustrated here, to increase the contrast
for some selected portion of the exposure range. The processing illustrated here
produces an image that is similar to one recorded with a high contrast film. Note: we
do not generally use a high contrast film for chest radiography because it produces an
image with too much area contrast (like the dark lungs shown here).
Here we see LUT processing that is more appropriate for chest radiography.
In general, it simulates an image recorded on a latitude type film that is used for chest
imaging.
Compared to the high contrast processing that we have just seen, this produces an
image with good object and anatomical structure contrast and visibility throughout
most of the image.
Important point...Contrast will be visible only for the pixel values that are within the
selected window. All pixel values that are either below or above the window will be
all white or all black and display no contrast.
The person controlling the display can adjust both the center and the width of the
window. The combination of these two parameters determine the range of pixel
values that will be displayed with contrast in the image.
With windowing we can create many displayed images, each one "focusing on" a
specific range of pixel values.
As we see here, when the window is set to cover the lower segment of total pixel
value range, we see good contrast in the lighter areas like the medistimum.
Setting the window to the higher segment produces good contrast in the darker areas
like the lungs.