Digital enhancement of OCT images toward better diagnostic of precursor cancer lesions in the uterine colon

Abstract

We present a combination of image processing operations, which improve the quality of OCT images. The sequence is: (1) Gaussian blur, (2) Enhance Local Contrast (CLAHE), (3) FFT based band-pass filter, (4) Background Subtraction, (5) adjustment of the contrast of the image with light saturation (Enhance Contrast) and finally (6) reassignment of the palette such as to enhance the bright part of the images. The multi-step treatment reduces pixel-to-pixel noise, improves the homogeneity of the contrast, supresses vertical strips, reduces cosmetic distractions, equalizes contrast across a collection of images, and uses the pallet to emphasise areas of greater intensity. The enhanced images show a significant improvement in their quality, with details that do not appear in the original OCT image. The processing of these images and the comparison with untreated OCT images are shown throughout the paper.