An enhanced variational level set method for MRI brain image segmentation using IFCM clustering and LBM

Abstract

Today's technological advances in medical imaging have given rise to efficient diagnostic procedures. Segmentation identifies and defines individual objects with various attributes such as size, shape, texture, spatial location, contrast, brightness, noise, and context. Deformable segmentation methods are Active contours, which are used to match and track images of an atomic structure by determining constraints derived from the image data. Level set method is an integral part of active contour family, considerable work towards level set methods has identified two main disadvantages i.e., initialization of controlling parameters and time complexity. In this paper, the methodology employed proposes an enhanced Variational level set methodology for Magnetic Resonance (MR) brain image segmentation with heterogeneous intensity. Core concept of IFCM is based on Intuitionistic fuzzy set. Both the values of membership and non membership values for the purpose of labelling are utilized together. As the result of experimentation reveals the efficiency of the recommended IFCM algorithm and Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to overcome the drawbacks of Level Set methods by using the energy function to reduce the processing time which addresses the time complexity issue. The proposed system combines of both IFCM and LBM to form a novel approach. The system is tested on a large set of MRI brain images, extensive research and experiments were carried over on the standard dataset and the results are found to be improved in identification of tumor size detection with respect to time complexity.