Biomedical Image Retrieval Using SVM Classification

In the past few years, immense improvement was obtained in the field of content-based image retrieval (CBIR). Nevertheless, existing systems still fail when applied to medical image databases. Simple feature-extraction algorithms that operate on the entire image for characterization of color, texture, or shape cannot be related to the descriptive semantics of medical knowledge that is extracted from images by human experts. In the framework, the probabilistic outputs of a multiclass support vector machine (SVM) classifier as category prediction of query and database images are exploited at first to filter out irrelevant images, thereby reducing the search space for similarity matching. Images are classified at a global level according to their modalities based on different low-level, concept, and key point-based features. It is difficult to find a unique feature to compare images effectively for all types of queries. Hence, a query-specific adaptive linear combination of similarity matching approach is proposed by relying on the image classification and feedback information from users. Based on the prediction of a query image category, individual pre computed weights of different features are adjusted online. The prediction of the classifier may be inaccurate in some cases and a user might have a different semantic interpretation about retrieved images. Hence, the weights are finally determined by considering both precision and rank order information of each individual feature representation by considering top retrieved relevant images as judged by the users. As a result, the system can adapt itself to individual searches to produce query-specific results. Experiment is performed in a diverse collection of many biomedical images of different modalities, body parts, and orientations. It demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the retrieval approach.

©2013 International Journal of Computer Science and Applications 

Published by Research Publications, India