BIOEN 563:

Medical Image Processing & Communication

Introduction
Dr Mahbubunnabi Tamal

“One picture is worth more than ten thousand words”

Medical Image Processing

Information
90% of medical data is image

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 What is an digital image?

A digital image can be considered as a discrete representation of data

possessing both spatial (layout) and intensity (colour) information.

An image can also be treated as multidimensional signals.

Different types of digital image?

• Natural images (photograph)

• Satellite images
• Astronomical images
• Medical images
• Others

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Example of digital images

• Natural images (photograph)

• Satellite images
• Astronomical images
• Medical images

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 Medical Imaging and Medical Images

• Medical imaging is the technique and process of creating visual representations

of the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well
as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology).

• Medical imaging seeks to reveal internal structures hidden by the skin and
bones, as well as to diagnose and treat disease. Medical imaging also
establishes a database of normal anatomy and physiology to make it possible to
identify abnormalities.

• Although imaging of removed organs and tissues can be performed for medical
reasons, such procedures are usually considered part of pathology instead of
medical imaging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_imaging

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 Why image processing?

Launched in 1990 the Hubble telescope

can take images of very distant objects
However, an incorrect mirror made
many of Hubble’s images useless
Image processing techniques were used
to fix this

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 Purpose of medical image processing

• To increase the quality of image

• To automate the process to remove inter/intra observer variability
• To compare different modality image in the same space
• To quantify image
• To extract information that are not available to naked eye

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 Difference with other images

• Every information in medical images corresponds to some underlying biological

process taking places within the human body.
• Both qualitative and quantitative assessments are very important.

Medical Image/Information Processing

ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE:
To get some features/ numbers that say whether there is
any disease and if there is what is the state of it

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 Challenges in Medical Image Processing

Algorithms for other image processing may not directly be applicable:

• The ground truth is not known (control and sample)

• Different modality provides different information (cross validation is difficult)
• Quality of image is not always good
• Site of the diseases (e. g., brain, lung, liver etc.)
• Motion (movement during scan)
• Different anatomy (e. g., change of location of tumour between scans)
• Different types of patient (e. g., female, children, size of patients etc.)

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 Medical Image Processing (multidisciplinary)

Mathematics

Physics Chemistry

Instrumentation Medical Image Processing Biology

Machine Learning/
Computer Vision Programming
Artificial Intelligence

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Medical Image Processing and Analysis Approaches

Features Models

Images

Images Features

Bottom up approach Top down approach

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 1D convolution & impulse response function

⊗
 
= IDEAL CASE

Input signal System Response Output signal

⊗
 
= REAL CASE

Input signal System Response Output signal

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Point Spread Function (PSF), 2D convolution & Image Formation

Point spread function (psf)

𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒=𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡
  ⊗ 𝑝𝑠𝑓 +𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑒

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 Point Spread Function (PSF)

• The point spread function (PSF) describes the response of an imaging system to

a point source or point object.
• A more general term for the PSF is a system's impulse response, the PSF being
the impulse response of a focused system. 

Resolution

• Resolution or accuracy of a medical imaging system very much depends on it

PSF.
• Subsequent lecture will contain more details about resolution and how to
calculate the resolution of a medical imaging system. 

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 Analog Signal Sampling

Digitized Signal
Sampled and Quantized

 𝑡 1  𝑡 2  𝑡 3  𝑡 4

∆  𝑡 ∆  𝑡

𝑡  1 − ∆𝑡 𝑡  1 + ∆𝑡
𝑡  2 − ∆𝑡 𝑡  2 + ∆𝑡 Sampling in time and value
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 Multidimensionality and Digital Image formation
1D signal Sampled in time 𝑆=𝑓
  (𝑡 ) 𝑆
  (𝑡)

2D signal Sample in space  𝐼 =𝑓 ( 𝑥 , 𝑦 ) 𝐼  ( 𝑥 , 𝑦 )

 𝑦

 𝑥

A digital image is a representation of a two-dimensional image as a finite set of

digital values, called picture elements or pixels
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 Pixel
A pixel is sample of intensity from a point is space

Point Sample Picture Element Pixel

To visualize

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 𝑥  − ∆ 𝑥  𝑥  𝑥+∆ 𝑥 Digital Image Formation

 𝑦+∆ 𝑦
 𝑦

 𝑦− ∆ 𝑦

Continuous object projected on a Results of sampling in space (grid)

sensory array and intensity (quantization)

• Pixel values typically represent gray levels, colors and other information.
• Digitization (space and intensity) implies that a digital image is an
approximation of a real object.

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 Course Structure and Curriculum
Week Week Week Lecture Topics Lab
no Start End
1 13 Jan 17 Jan Introduction & Overview No Lab
2 20 Jan 24 Jan Sampling image, grid, quantization of intensities, No Lab
multidimensionality
3 27 Jan 31 Jan Dicom, PACS and Image quality assessment: resolution, Lab 1: Introduction to basic MATLAB
contrast, SNR image processing functions using
Filtering in real space (linear and nonlinear filter) example images.
4 03 Feb 07 Feb Filtering in real and Fourier space (linear and nonlinear filter) Lab 2: Calculation of image
resolution and SNR using example
images without and with filter.
5 10 Feb 14 Feb Filtering in Fourier space (linear and nonlinear filter) Lab 3: Fourier space filtering.
6 17 Feb 21 Feb Image enhancement Lab 4: Histogram manipulation,
contrast enhancement.
7 24 Feb 28 Feb Image analysis - Segmentation (threshold, edge, texture) No Lab (Project details will be
provided)
8 03 Mar 07 Mar Midterm Exam
9 10 Mar 14 Mar Image analysis - Segmentation (threshold, edge, texture) Lab 5: Application of simple
thresholding algorithm to segment
example images.
10 17 Mar 21 Mar Image analysis – interpolation and transformation Lab 6: Application of simple edge
detection algorithm to segment
example images.
11 24 Mar 28 Mar Image analysis – interpolation and transformation Lab 7: Application of interpolation
(morphological operation) and transformation on example
images.
12 31 Mar 04 Apr Image analysis – interpolation and transformation Project presentation
(morphological operation)
13 07 Apr 11 Apr Advance topics Lab exam
14 14 Apr 18 Apr Tutorial

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BIOEN 563: Medical Image Processing & Communication
 Text Book
Digital Image Processing R. Gonzalez
and R. Woods. Third Edition. Pearson
Education International.

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 Assessment Methods

Quiz 1 & 2 10% 5th & 12th week*

Midterm 20% 8th week
Final 40% As scheduled by
Department

Project 15% Every three to

seven weeks*

Labs & Practical 15% Total of 7 Labs

*these dates are subject to change

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 Reference Materials
1) Hand Book of Medical Image Processing. Issac N Bankman.
2) http://www.tutorialspoint.com/dip/
3) Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing: A Practical Approach with
Examples in MATLAB. Chris Solomon & Toby Breckon. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
(http://www.fundipbook.com/ )

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Labs:
1) Introduction to basic MATLAB image processing functions using example images.
2) Calculation of image resolution and SNR using example images without and with
filter.
3) Fourier space filtering..
4) Histogram manipulation, contrast enhancement.
5) Application of simple thresholding algorithm to segment example images.
6) Application of simple edge detection algorithm to segment example images.
7) Application of interpolation and transformation on example images.

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 Thank You

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