Segmentation using vector-attribute filters: methodology and application to dermatological imaging

Abstract

Attribute-based filters can be involved in analysis and processing of images by considering attributes of various kinds (quantitative, qualitative, structural). Despite their potential usefulness, they are quite infrequently considered in the development of real applications. A cause of this underuse is probably the difficulty to determine correct parameters for non-scalar attributes in a fast and efficient fashion. This paper proposes a general definition of vector-attribute filters for grey-level images and describes some solutions to perform detection tasks using vector-attributes and parameters determined from a learning set. Based on these elements, an interactive segmentation method for dermatological application has been developed.