Localization of inter-rib spaces for lung texture analysis and computer-aided diagnosis in digital chest images.

An automated method for sampling lung textures in digital posterior/anterior chest images is being developed for use in computer-aided diagnosis of interstitial pulmonary diseases. In our present approach, two vertical profiles in the periphery of both lungs are fitted with a shift-variant sinusoidal function from which we estimate locations of posterior ribs and inter-rib spaces. Regions of interest (ROI's) for sampling lung textures are then automatically centered on the calculated locations of inter-rib spaces. In tests with 66 chest images, the overall success rate in placing 6.4 mm X 6.4 mm ROI's within inter-rib spaces with this method was 71%, with an average of 18 ROI's selected in 4-5 s/image by a VAX11/750 computer. When four additional alternative ROI's were selected on the sides of each original ROI, the success rate in having at least one ROI correctly located in an inter-rib space increased to 94%. Since we are still developing a fully automated sampling method, the present approach has been incorporated into a semiautomated method that is currently being used to sample lung textures from a large number of clinical cases.