Computer-aided determination of window and level settings for filmless radiology

摘要

A window and level control tool that operates in real time and can quickly determine initial values for window and level settings such that a displayed image is always presented in a readable format is disclosed. The invention transforms input image data into an image histogram. This histogram is then segmented into a small number of parts corresponding to structures of interest. Segmentation of the histogram is done by a novel Viterbi optimal runlength-constrained approximation nonlinear filter. Window and level settings are calculated to correspond to this optimal segmentation. A readable image of one of the structures of interest is then displayed. In another embodiment, the tool provides a menu of optimal window and level settings corresponding to the different types of information a radiologist may be interested in.