Image enhancement method for analysis of mammogram images

Abstract

A method of processing a mammogram image, including receiving a digital mammography image of a breast of a patient, and separating the digital mammography image into three channels. The method includes removing noise and uneven illumination to form a first set of three uniform background images, and separating a luminance channel and a chrominance channel from the first set with a transfer function to form a second set of three uniform background images. The method includes applying principal component analysis to the second set; and assembling a single grayscale image and applying a first subspace projection. The method includes removing at least a portion of a pectoral muscle from the grayscale image, and normalizing the muscle removed image using a second order Gaussian Laplacian and an oriented diffusion filter to form a processed image. The method includes identifying cancerous and/or noncancerous regions in the processed image.