Feature enhancement of film mammograms using fixed and adaptive neighborhoods

Abstract

Digital techniques are presented for xerographylike enhancement of features in film mammograms. The mammographic image is first digitized using a procedure for gray scale dynamic range expansion. A pixel operator is then applied to the image, which performs contrast enhancement according to a specified function. The final transformation leads to either a positive or negative mode display as desired. We also present an adaptive neighborhood feature enhancement technique that enhances visibility of objects and details in an image. The availability of the enhanced images should aid diagnosis of breast cancer without requiring additional x-ray dose such as for xeromammography.