Medical Validation and CBIR of Spine x-ray Images over the Internet

As found in the literature, most Internet-based prototype Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems focus on stock photo collections and do not address challenges of large specialized image collections and topics such as medical information retrieval by image content. Even fewer have medically validated data to evaluate retrieval quality in terms of precision and relevance. To date, our research has reported over 75 % relevant spine X-ray image retrieval tested on 888 validated vertebral shapes from 207 images using our prototype CBIR system operating within our local network. As a next step, we have designed and developed an Internet-based medical validation tool and a CBIR retrieval tool in MATLAB and JAVA that can remotely connect to our database. The retrieval tool supports hybrid text and image queries and also provides partial shape annotation for pathology-specific querying. These tools are initially developed for domain experts, such as radiologists and educators, to identify design issues for improved workflow. This article describes the tools and design considerations in their development