An intelligent modified fuzzy c-means based algorithm for bias estimation and segmentation of brain MRI

The segmentation of magnetic resonance images (MRI) is a challenging problem that has received an enormous amount of attention lately. Many researchers have applied various techniques however fuzzy c-means (FCM) based algorithms have produced better results compared to other methods. In this paper, we present a modified FCM algorithm for bias (also called intensity in-homogeneities) estimation and segmentation of MRI. Normally, the intensity inhomogeneities are attributed to imperfections in the radio-frequency coils or to the problems associated with the image acquisition. Our algorithm is formulated by modifying the objective function of the standard FCM and it has the advantage that it can be applied at an early stage in an automated data analysis before a tissue model is available. The proposed method can deal with the intensity in-homogeneities and Gaussian noise effectively. We have conducted extensive experimental and have compared our results with other reported methods. The results using simulated images and real MRI data show that our method provides better results compared to standard FCM-based algorithms and other modified FCM-based techniques. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.