Digital processing and segmentation of breast microcalcifications images obtained by a Si microstrips detector: Preliminary pesults

We present the preliminary results of digital processing and segmentation of breast microcalcifications images. They were obtained using a Bede X ray tube with Cu anode, which was fixed at 20 kV and 1 mA. Different biopsies were scanned using a 128 Si microstrips detector. Total scanning resulted in a data matrix, which corresponded with the image of each biopsy. We manipulated the contrast of the images using histograms and filters in the frequency domain in Matlab. Then we intended to investigate about different contour models for the segmentation of microcalcifications boundaries, which were based on the contrast and shape of the image. These algorithms could be applied to mammographic images, which may be obtained by digital mammography or digitizing conventional mammograms. © 2007 American Institute of Physics