Patent ID: 8634630

Claim:
A method of enhancing representations of micro-calcifications in a digital mammogram image, the method comprising: smoothing the digital mammogram image using a fuzzy smoothing technique to yield a fuzzy smoothed image, wherein smoothing comprises averaging gray level values of pixels in the digital mammogram image and wherein averaging gray level values comprises: selecting a plurality of pixels around a center pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels along with the center pixel are within a window having a predefined window size; determining a membership function of a pixel in the plurality of pixels; and modifying a gray level value of the center pixel based on the membership functions of each of the plurality of pixels; subtracting the fuzzy smoothed image from the digital mammogram image to yield a micro-calcifications enhanced image; and scaling gray level values of pixels in the micro-calcifications enhanced image by a predetermined amount to provide a digital mammogram image with enhanced representations of the micro-calcifications.