Patent ID: 8160318

Claim:
A method for processing images produced by a medical imaging device, the method comprising: Determining, via a microprocessor, a family of two-dimensional directional filters to apply to a raw image representative of an internal structure of a patient's body, wherein the raw image is obtained from a radiation detector; determining for each filter of the family of two-dimensional filters an orientation θ i within a range of orientations θ i defined beforehand, wherein i belongs to an interval [1, n], wherein n is equal to a number of filters of the family of two-dimensional filters; wherein for each orientation θ i , the method further comprises: separating a corresponding filter into two mono-dimensional filters: a mono-dimensional constant filter along one direction, and a mon-dimensional non constant filter along another direction; formulating the mono-dimensional constant filter into a discrete mono-dimensional constant filter; formulating the discrete mono-dimensional constant filter in a recursive manner; successively applying to the raw image the recursive discrete constant filter and the non constant filter of said filter; combining all of the responses obtained by an application to the raw image of the filters of the family of two-dimensional filters; and producing a confidence map and an orientation image from the combined responses of the filters of the family of two-dimensional filters.