• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.10B no.5
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• pp.521-526
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• 2003

In this paper, we propose a geometric active contour model based on intensity information and curve evolution for detecting region boundaries. We put boundary extraction problem as the minimization of the difference between the average intensity of the region and the intensity of the expanding closed curves. We used level set theory to implement the curve evolution for optimal solution. It offered much more freedom in the initial curve position than a general active contour model. Our methods could detect regions whose boundaries are not necessarily defiened by gradient compared to general edge based methods and detect multiple boundaries at the same time. We could improve the result by using anisotropic diffusion filter in image preprocessing. The performance of our model was demonstrated on several data sets like CT and MRI medical images.

• Journal of International Society for Simulation Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2015

Purpose In this paper, we propose a robust 3D vessel tracking algorithm by utilizing an active contour model and unscented Kalman filter which are the two representative algorithms on segmentation and tracking. Materials and Methods The proposed algorithm firstly accepts user input to produce an initial estimate of vessel boundary segmentation. On each Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) slice, the active contour is applied to segment the vessel boundary. After that, the estimation process of the unscented Kalman filter is applied to track the vessel boundary of the current slice to estimate the inter-slice vessel position translation and shape deformation. Finally both active contour and unscented Kalman filter are inter-operated for vessel segmentation of the next slice. Results The arbitrarily shaped blood vessel boundary on each slice is segmented by using the active contour model, and the Kalman filter is employed to track the translation and shape deformation between CTA slices. The proposed algorithm is applied to the 3D visualization of chest CTA images using graphics hardware. Conclusion Through this algorithm, more opportunities, giving quick and brief diagnosis, could be provided for the radiologist before detailed diagnosis using 2D CTA slices, Also, for the surgeon, the algorithm could be used for surgical planning, simulation, navigation and rehearsal, and is expected to be applied to highly valuable applications for more accurate 3D vessel tracking and rendering.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.153-156
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• 2003

This paper proposes a video tracking method for a deformable moving object using an active contour model. In order to decide the convergent directions of the contour points automatically, a new energy function based on a frame difference map and an updating rules of the frame difference map are presented. Experimental results on a set of synthetic and real image sequences showed that the proposed method can fully track a speedy deformable object while extracting the boundary of the object exactly in every frame.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.17-22
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• 2002

This paper used an active contour model which was based on level set algorithms and bidirectional curve evolution theory in order to track the shape of the heart acting continuously. Most active contour models would be failed in boundary extraction because of their unstable movement in the edge gap locations. In this paper, we suggest a new active contour model using only image intensity value and additional constraint needed for stable extraction. Our model was successfully run on either shape extraction or object tracking without any position constraints of initial curve. Also demonstrated stable movements and showed good results at weak or missing boundary locations.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.84-92
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• 2011

The automated segmentation technique of cell region in Bio Images helps biologists understand complex functions of cells. It is mightly important in that it can process the analysis of cells automatically which has been done manually before. The conventional methods for segmentation of cell and nuclei from multi-channel images consist of two steps. In the first step nuclei are extracted from DNA channel, and used as initial contour for the second step. In the second step cytoplasm are segmented from Actin channel by using Active Contour model based on intensity. However, conventional studies have some limitation that they let the cell segmentation performance fall by not considering inhomogeneous intensity problem in cell images. Therefore, the paper consider correlation between DNA and Actin channel, and then proposes the preprocessing algorithm by which the brightness of cell inside in Actin channel can be compensated homogeneously by using DNA channel information. Experiment result show that the proposed preprocessing method improves the cell segmentation performance compared to the conventional method.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.1891-1896
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• 2006

In this paper, we propose an improved Active Shape Model for extracting lip contour. Lip deformation is modeled by a statistically deformable model based Active Shape Model. Because each point is moved independently using local profile information in Active Shape Model, many error may happen. To use a global information, we define an energy function similar to an energy function in Active Contour Model, and points are moved to positions at which the total energy is minimized. The experiments have been performed for many lip images of Tulip 1 database, and show that our method extracts lip shape than a traditional ASM more exactly.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2016

In this paper, we apply limited area mask operation and active contour model to accurately detect tongue area outline in tongue diagnosis system. To accurately analyze the properties of the tongue, first, the tongue area to be detected. Therefore an effective segmentation method for detecting the edge of tongue is very important. It experimented with tongue image DB consists of 20~30 students 30 people. Experiments on real tongue image show the good performance of this method. Experimental results show that the proposed method extracts object boundaries more accurately than existing methods without mask operation.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2006

The Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) snake or active contour model offers the best performance for image segmentation. However, there are problems in classical snake models such as the limited capture range and the slow progress into concavity. This paper presents a new method for enhancing the performance of the GVF snake model by extending the external force fields from the neighboring fields and using a modified smoothing method to regularize them. The results on a simulated U-shaped image showed that the proposed method has larger capture range and makes it possible for the contour to progress into concavity more quickly compared with the conventional GVF snake model.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.541-545
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• 1997

This paper presents a modified geometric active contour model or edge detection and segmentation of computed tomography(CT) scan images. The method is based on the level setup approach developed by Osher and Sethian and the modeling of propagation fronts with curvature dependent speeds by Malladi. Based on above algorithms, the geometric active contour is obtained through a particular level set of hypersurface lowing along its gradient force and curvature force. This technique retains the attractive feature which is topological and geometric flexibility of the contour in recovering objects with complex shapes and unknown topologies. But there are limitations in this algorithm which are being not able to separate the object with weak difference from neighbor object. So we use speed limitation filter to overcome those problems. We apply a 2D model to various synthetic cases and the three cases of real CT scan images in order to segment objects with complicated shapes and topologies. From the results, the presented model confirms that it attracts very naturally and efficiently to the desired feature of CT scan images.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.2090-2101
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• 2015

We propose a robust tracking method that combines the merits of ACM(active contour model) and the color-based PF(particle filter), effectively. In the proposed method, PF and ACM track the color distribution and the contour of the target, respectively, and Decision part merges the estimate results from the two trackers to determine the position and scale of the target and to update the target model. By controlling the internal energy of ACM based on the estimate of the position and scale from PF tracker, we can prevent the snake pointers from falsely converging to the background clutters. We appled the proposed method to track the head of person in video and have conducted computer experiments to analyze the errors of the estimated position and scale.