Image fusion scheme for differential phase contrast imaging

Abstract

The latest progresses in breast imaging using differential phase contrast techniques pose the question of how to fuse multiple information sources, yielded by absorption, differential phase, and scattering signals, into a single, informative image for clinical diagnosis. It is proposed to use an image fusion scheme based on a multiple-resolution framework. The three signals are first transformed into multiple bands presenting information at different frequencies and then a two-step processing follows: (1) intra-band processing enhances the local signal-to-noise ratio using a novel noise estimation method and context modeling; and (2) inter-band processing weights each band by considering their characteristics and contributions, and suppressing the global noise level. The fused image, looking similar to a conventional mammogram but with significantly enhanced detail features, is reconstructed by inverse transform. The fused image is compatible with clinical settings and enables the radiologists to use their years of diagnosis experiences in mammography.