Patent ID: 8090177

Claim:
A method comprising: obtaining color images of the cervix wherein said images contain color components, atypical vessels, and features unrelated to atypical vessels; pre-processing to enhance contrast of said images to increase visualization of blood vessels from surrounding tissue creating a red component enhanced image and a contrast enhanced red component image, wherein said pre-processing comprises the steps of suppressing high intensity components by filtering an image from said images by a to hat filter, and subtracting the to hat-filtered image from said image to create a smoothed image; creating a contrast-enhanced image by filtering the smoothed image with a to hat filter, filtering the smoothed image with a bottom hat filter, adding the top hat-filtered smoothed image to, and subtracting the bottom hat-filtered smoothed image from said smoothed image; augmenting the red component of said contrast enhanced image to create said red component enhanced image; creating a contrast enhanced red component image by filtering the red component enhanced image with a to hat filter, filtering the red component enhanced image with a bottom hat filter, adding the top hat-filtered red component enhanced image to, and subtracting the bottom hat-filtered red component enhanced image from said red component enhanced image; segmenting said red component enhanced image and said contrast enhanced red component image to identify regions of interest, wherein said segmenting comprises the steps of applying a bottom-hat filter to said red component enhanced image to extract regions containing maximum texture; performing region-based segmentation on said regions containing maximum texture to create a maximum texture image; applying an edge detection algorithm to said contrast enhanced red component image to detect edges, and filling areas surrounded by said edges in said contrast enhanced red component image to create a maximum gradient image; and calculating the intersection of said maximum texture image and said maximum gradient image to locate said regions of interest; post-processing to eliminate false-positives of atypical vessels and determine a final region of interest from said regions of interest, wherein said post-processing comprises the steps of identifying and removing said features unrelated to atypical vessels in said regions of interest; and locating a final region of interest using known color, shape, and size information for said atypical vessels; and whereby said method detects said atypical blood vessels in digital images of tissue or organs for cancer diagnosis.