Simplified active contour model applied to bone structure segmentation in digital radiographs
Claude Kauffmann, B. Godbout, Jacques A. de Guise · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1998
This paper describes a segmentation technique based on a new simplified active contour scheme. The method is a compromise between dynamic programming and the original `snake' solution. It follows a two-step procedure: the first step moves the contour points toward image features using a new potential vector field; the second step smoothes out the contour using a numeric filter to impose continuity and rigidity constraints on the contour model. This technique allows a natural definition of the active contour parameters in term of local curvature and rigidity of the contour. Since it performed particularly well in very noise images, the procedure is demonstrated for segmenting bone structures of the human spine from sagittal radiographs.