150 (IJCNS) International Journal of Computer and Network Security,

Vol. 2, No. 6, June 2010

Segmentation of MR Brain tumor using

Parallel ACO
J.Jaya1 and K.Thanushkodi 2
1
Research Scholar, Anna University,Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India.
jaya_hindusthan@yahoo.co.in
2
Director, Akshaya College of Engg, & Tech.Coimbatore,Tamil Nadu,India

the research community. Among them we can find

Abstract: One of the most complex tasks in digital image
processing is image segmentation. This paper proposes a novel
image segmentation algorithm that uses a biologically inspired
technique based on ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. It
has been applied to solve many optimization problems with good
discretion, parallel, robustness and positive feedback. The
proposed new meta-heuristic algorithm operates on the image
pixel data and a region/neighborhood map to form a context in
which they can merge. Hence, we segment the MR brain image
using ant colony optimization algorithm. Compared to
traditional metaheuristic segmentation methods, the proposed
method has advantages that it can effectively segment the fine
details. The suggested image segmentation strategy is tested on a
set of real time MR Brain images.
Keywords: MRI, Segmentation, Ant colony optimization, &
Registration.
5. Introduction
The field known as biomedical analysis has evolved
considerably over the last couple of decades. The widespread
availability of suitable detectors has aided the rapid
development of new technologies for the monitoring and
diagnosis, as well as treatment, of patients. Over the last
century technology has advanced from the discovery of x-
rays to a variety of imaging tools such as magnetic
resonance imaging, computed tomography, positron
emission tomography and ultrasonography. The recent
revolution in medical imaging resulting from techniques
such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) can provide detailed information about
disease and can identify many pathologic conditions, giving
an accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, new techniques are
helping to advance fundamental biomedical research.
Medical imaging is an essential tool for improving the
diagnoses, understanding and treatment of a large variety of
diseases [1, 7, 8].
The extraordinary growth experimented by the medical
image processing field in the last years, has motivated the
development of many algorithms and software packages for
image processing. There are also some efforts to develop
software that could be easy to modify by other researchers,
for example the Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit, is
intended to fill the gap between algorithms and the final
user, providing interaction capabilities to construct clinical
applications. Therefore, many software packages for
visualization and analysis of medical data are available for
commercial and non commercial packages. Usually, the
former ones are focused on specific applications or just on
visualization being more robust and stable, whereas the
latter ones often offer more features to the end user.
2. Existing Methods
Several methods have been proposed to segment brain
MR images. The methods are either based on the intrinsic
structure of the data or based on statistical frameworks.
Structural based methods rely on apparent spatial
regularities of image structures such as edges, and regions.
However, the performance is not satisfying when the images
are with noise, artifacts, and local variations, which is often
the case in real data. Instead, statistical based methods use a
probability model to classify the voxels into different tissue
types based on the intensity distribution of the image.
Methods based on statistical frameworks can be further
divided into non-parametric methods or parametric
methods.. In non-parametric methods, the density model of
the prior relies entirely on the data itself, i.e. the K-nearest-
neighbors (K-NN) method. Non-parametric methods are
adaptive, but its limitation is the need of a large amount of
labeled training data. In contrast, non-parametric methods
rely only on the explicit functional form of intensity density
function of the MR image [10, 11].
3. Proposed Method
Image Acquisition
Preprocessing
Enhancement
Segmentation
Figure1. Block Diagram of Proposed work
3.1 Image Acquisition
The development of intra-operative imaging systems has
contributed to improving the course of intracranial
neurosurgical procedures. Among these systems, the 0.5T
intra-operative magnetic resonance scanner of the Kovai
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Vol. 2, No. 6, June 2010

Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH, Signa SP, GE

Medical Systems) offers the possibility to acquire
256*256*58(0.86mm, 0.86mm, 2.5 mm) T1 weighted
images with the fast spin echo protocol (TR=400,TE=16 ms,
FOV=220*220 mm) in 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The
quality of every 256*256 slice acquired intra-operatively is
fairly similar to images acquired with a 1.5 T conventional
scanner, but the major drawback of the intra-operative
image is that the slice remains thick (2.5 mm).
Images of a patient obtained by MRI scan is displayed as Figure 2 b) After Preprocessing
an array of pixels (a two dimensional unit based on the
matrix size and the field of view) and stored in Mat lab 3.3 Enhancement
7.0.Here, grayscale or intensity images are displayed of Image enhancement methods improve the visual
default size 256 x 256.The following figure displayed a MRI appearance of Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI). The role
brain image obtained in Mat lab 7.0. The brain MR images of enhancement technique is removal of high frequency
are stored in the database in JPEG format. Fig 2 shows the components from the images. This part is used to enhance
image acquisition. the smoothness towards piecewise-homogeneous region and
reduces the edge-blurring effect. Conventional Enhancement
techniques such as low pass filter, Median filter, Gabor
Filter, Gaussian Filter, Prewitt edge-finding filter,
Normalization Method are employable for this work.

This proposed system describes the information of

enhancement using weighted median filter for removing
high frequency components such as impulsive noise, salt
and pepper noise, etc. and obtained high PSNR and ASNR
values. PSNR = 0.924,ASNR =.929

Figure 2. Image Acquisition

3.2 Preprocessing
Preprocessing functions involve those operations that are
normally required prior to the main data analysis and
extraction of information, and are generally grouped as
radiometric or geometric corrections. Radiometric
corrections include correcting the data for sensor
irregularities and unwanted sensor or atmospheric noise, Figure 3. Enhancement
removal of non-brain voxels and Converting the data so they
accurately represent the reflected or emitted radiation
measured by the sensor [9].

In this work tracking algorithm is implemented to

remove film artifacts. The high intensity value of film
artifacts are removed from MRI brain image. During the
removal of film artifacts, the image consists of salt and
pepper noise.

Figure3.Performance Evaluation of Enhancement Stage

Figure 2 a) Before Preprocessing
3.5 Segmentation
Segmentation is the initial step for any image
analysis. There is a task for segmentation of brain MRI
images. That is to obtain the locations of suspicious areas to
assist radiologists for diagnose. Image segmentation has
been approached from a wide variety of perspectives.
Region-based approach, morphological operation, multiscale
analysis, fuzzy approaches and stochastic approaches have
been used for MRI image segmentation but with some
limitations. Local thresholding is used by setting threshold
152
values for sub-images. It requires selection of a window size
and threshold parameters. Wu et al. presented that the
threshold for a pixel is set as the mean value plus the Root
Mean Square (RMS) noise value multiplied by a selected
coefficient in a selected square region around the
thresholded pixel. Kallergi et al. compared local
thresholding and region growing methods. It showed that
the local thresholding method has greater stability, but is
more dependent on parameter selection. Woods et al. used
local thresholding by subtracting the average intensity of a
15×15 window from the processed pixel. Then, region
growing is performed to group pixels into objects.
Comparing with the multi-tolerance region growing
algorithm and the active contour model, it showed that the
speed of the algorithm is more than an order of magnitude
faster than the other two.
Edge detection is a traditional method for
segmentation. Many operators, Roberts gradient, Sobel
gradient, Prewitt gradient and Laplacian operator, were
published in the literature. Some mathematical
morphological operations such as erosion, top-hat
transformation and complicated morphological filters and
multi-structure elements can also be used. It is good in
dealing with geometrically analytic aspects of image
analysis problems. Stochastic approaches have also been
used to segment calcifications. Stochastic and Bayesian
methods have provided a general framework to model
images and to express prior knowledge. Markov Random
Field (MRF) model was used to deal with the spatial
relations between the labels obtained in an iterative
segmentation process. The process-assigning pixel labels
iteratively.
4. Proposed parallel Ant Colony System (ACS)
Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a population-based
approach first designed by Marco Dorigo and coworkers,
inspired by the foraging behavior of ant colonies [13, 14,
15]. ndividuals ants are simple insects with limited
memory and capable of performing simple
ctions.However, the collective behavior of ants provides
intelligent solutions to problems such as finding the
shortest paths from the nest to a food source. Ants
foraging for food lay down quantities of a volatile
chemical substance named pheromone, marking their
path that it follows. Ants smell pheromone and decide to
follow the path with a high probability and thereby
reinforce it with a further quantity of pheromone [12, 16].
The probability that an ant chooses a path increases with
the number of ants choosing the path at previous times
and with the strength of the pheromone concentration laid
on it.
In this work, the labels created from the MRF
method and the posterior energy function values for each
pixel are stored in a solution matrix. The goal of this
method is to find out the optimum label of the image that
minimizes the posterior energy function value. Initially
assign the values of number of iterations (N), number of
ants (K), initial pheromone value (T0). [Hint: we are using
N=20, K=10, T0=0.001].
(IJCNS) International Journal of Computer and Network Security,
Vol. 2, No. 6, June 2010
4.1 Pheromone Initialization
For each ant assign the initial pheromone value T0.
And for each ant select a random pixel from the image
which has not been selected previously. To find out the
pixels is been selected or not, a flag value is assigned for
each pixel. Initially the flag value is assigned as 0, once the
pixel is selected the flag is changed to 1. This procedure is
followed for all the ants. For each ant a separate column for
pheromone and flag values are allocated in the solution
matrix.
4.2 Local Pheromone Update
Update the pheromone values for all the randomly
selected pixels using the following equation:
Tnew = (1 – ρ) * Told + ρ * T0 ,
where Told and Tnew are the old and new pheromone values,
and ρ is rate of pheromone evaporation parameter in local
update, ranges from [0,1] i.e., 0 < ρ < 1. Calculate the
posterior energy function value for all the selected pixels by
the ants from the solution matrix.
The ant, which generates this local minimum value, is
selected and whose pheromone is updated using the
following equation:
Tnew = (1 – α) * Told + α * ∆Told,
where Told and Tnew are the old and new pheromone values,
and α is rate of pheromone evaporation parameter in global
update called as track’s relative importance, ranges from
[0,1] i.e., 0 < α < 1, and ∆ is equal to ( 1 / Gmin). For the
remaining ants their pheromone is updated as: Tnew = (1 –
α) * Told, here, the ∆ is assumed as 0. Thus the pheromones
are updated globally. This procedure is repeated for all the
image pixels. At the final iteration, the Gmin has the
optimum label of the image. To further enhance the value,
this entire procedure can be repeated for any number of
times. In our implementation, we are using 20 numbers of
iterations.
Figure 4. Segmented MRI
5. Conclusion
In this paper, a meta heuristic based image segmentation
approach was presented. The multi-agent algorithm takes
advantage of various models to represent the agent’s
problem solving expertise within a knowledge base and
perform an inference mechanism that governs the agent’s
behavior in choosing the direction of their proceeding steps.
This paper details an image segmentation method based on
the ant colony optimization algorithm. The improved
accuracy rate according to the experimental results is due to
better characterization of natural brain structure.
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Vol. 2, No. 6, June 2010

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