Low Contrast Color Research Articles

Unsupervised segmentation of low-contrast multichannel images: discrimination of tissue components in microscopic images of unstained specimens.

Low-contrast images, such as color microscopic images of unstained histological specimens, are composed of objects with highly correlated spectral profiles. Such images are very hard to segment. Here, we present a method that nonlinearly maps low-contrast color image into an image with an increased number of non-physical channels and a decreased correlation between spectral profiles. The method is a proof-of-concept validated on the unsupervised segmentation of color images of unstained specimens, in which case the tissue components appear colorless when viewed under the light microscope. Specimens of human hepatocellular carcinoma, human liver with metastasis from colon and gastric cancer and mouse fatty liver were used for validation. The average correlation between the spectral profiles of the tissue components was greater than 0.9985, and the worst case correlation was greater than 0.9997. The proposed method can potentially be applied to the segmentation of low-contrast multichannel images with high spatial resolution that arise in other imaging modalities.

An Image Defogging Approach Based on a Constrained Energy Functional under Bayesian and Variation Theories

Hazy images produce negative influences on visual applications in the open air since they are in poor visibility with low contrast and whitening color. Numerous existing methods tend to derive a totally rough estimate of scene depth. Unlike previous work, we focus on the probability distribution of depth that is considered as a scene prior. Inspired by the denoising work of multiplicative noises, the inverse problem for hazy removal is recast as deriving the optimal difference between scene irradiance and the airlight from a constrained energy functional under Bayesian and variation theories. Logarithmic maximum a posteriori estimator and a mixed regularization term are introduced to formulate the energy functional framework where the regularization parameter is adaptively selected. The airlight, another unknown quantity, is inferred precisely under a geometric constraint and dark channel prior. With these two estimates, scene irradiance can be recovered. The experimental results on a series of hazy images reveal that, in comparison with several relevant and most state-of-the-art approaches, the proposed method outperforms in terms of vivid color and appropriate contrast.

Color Enhancement in Endoscopic Images Using Adaptive Sigmoid Function and Space Variant Color Reproduction

Modern endoscopes play an important role in diagnosing various gastrointestinal (GI) tract related diseases. The improved visual quality of endoscopic images can provide better diagnosis. This paper presents an efficient color image enhancement method for endoscopic images. It is achieved in two stages: image enhancement at gray level followed by space variant chrominance mapping color reproduction. Image enhancement is achieved by performing adaptive sigmoid function and uniform distribution of sigmoid pixels. Secondly, a space variant chrominance mapping color reproduction is used to generate new chrominance components. The proposed method is used on low contrast color white light images (WLI) to enhance and highlight the vascular and mucosa structures of the GI tract. The method is also used to colorize grayscale narrow band images (NBI) and video frames. The focus value and color enhancement factor show that the enhancement level in the processed image is greatly increased compared to the original endoscopic image. The overall contrast level of the processed image is higher than the original image. The color similarity test has proved that the proposed method does not add any additional color which is not present in the original image. The algorithm has low complexity with an execution speed faster than other related methods.

Probable photographic detection of the natural seventh-order rainbow.

We present a stacked and contrast-enhanced image comprised of 12 digital photographs that shows a series of color hues in the correct order and location to be part of the seventh-order rainbow. The observation was made on September 22, 2013, near Magdalena in New Mexico (USA). The seventh-order rainbow is located at 64° from the Sun in a region of the sky with little interference from the zero-order glow. The color hues in the image range from red to blue-violet, spanning about 12° in total extent; their locations generally agree with a numerical Debye-series simulation of the seventh-order rainbow. Despite the low color contrast of the seventh-order rainbow, the current observation indicates that it is feasible with current digital-imaging technology to detect this higher-order rainbow in near-ideal atmospheric conditions.

Assisted Night Vision and Oxygenation State: ‘Steady Adapted Gaze’

Visual effects of hypoxia relevant to viewing through night vision devices (NVD), or beneath them at dim instrument panel (IP) information, include elevation of color discrimination and contrast acuity thresholds, whereas supplementary oxygen enhances sensitivity. This study examined the effects of respiratory disturbance on low contrast acuity and color sensitivity under steady state visual adaptation representative of NVD and IP viewing. Foveal low contrast acuity (with and without distractors) and color signal thresholds were estimated using versions of the Contrast Acuity Assessment (CAA) test (8) and Color Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test (2). NVD viewing was simulated using an isochromatic green background field at 1.0 and 3.0 cd x m-2 while IP adaptation employed an achromatic background at 1.0 and 0.1 cd x m(-2). Respiratory conditions were normoxia (breathing air), hyperoxia (100% oxygen), and hypoxia (13.7% oxygen, balance nitrogen). Breathing gas was a significant determinant of contrast acuity and color thresholds under all four viewing conditions. Contrast acuity thresholds were elevated consistently under hypoxia by up to 25% relative to breathing oxygen. Both red-green and S-cone color thresholds were elevated by -20-25% during NVD viewing and up to 50% during IP viewing at 0.1 cd x m(-2). Hypoxia degrades mesopic visual performance substantially during steady state IP viewing, but also compromises NVD viewing at low photopic luminance. Low contrast acuity and color sensitivity will be compromised upon arrival at 10,000 ft (3048 m) viewing through or beneath NVDs. Unexpectedly, visual distractors enhanced acuity at 0.1 cd x m(-2), with possible implications for mesopic visual displays.

Enhanced visibility of colonic neoplasms using formulaic ratio imaging of native fluorescence

Colonoscopy is the preferred method for colon cancer screening, but can miss polyps and flat neoplasms with low color contrast. The objective was to develop a new autofluorescence method that improves image contrast of colonic neoplasms. We selected the three strongest native fluorescence signals and developed a novel method where fluorescence images are processed in a ratiometric formula to represent the likely cellular and structural changes associated with neoplasia. Native fluorescence images of fresh surgical specimens of the colon containing normal mucosa, polypoid and flat adenomas as well as adenocarcinoma were recorded using a prototype multi-spectral imager. Sixteen patients, with a mean age of 62 years (range 28-81) undergoing elective resection for colonic neoplasms were enrolled. High contrast images were seen with fluorescence from tryptophan (Tryp), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and collagen. When the image intensity of Tryp was divided pixel by pixel, by the intensities of FAD and collagen, the resulting formulaic ratio (FR) images were of exceptionally high contrast. The FR images of adenomas and adenocarcinomas had increased Weber contrast. FR imaging is a novel imaging process that represents the likely metabolic and structural changes in colonic neoplasia that produces images with remarkably high contrast.

Detection of camouflaged miner objects based on color and texture features

Due to the low illumination,low contrast and similar color between target and environment in a coal mine,problems of undetected objects and false detections appear.An improved miner target detection method was proposed,integrating Gaussian Mixture Model(GMM) with Local Binary Pattern(LBP).The color information of background was fitted by means of GMM,and the texture information was extracted by employing LBP,then the miners targets were detected by integrating the color and the texture information.The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm decreases the problems of undetected objects and false detections,and can detect miner target in real-time with high precision.

A fast and efficient color image enhancement method based on fuzzy-logic and histogram

A new fuzzy logic and histogram based algorithm for enhancing low contrast color images has been proposed here. The method is computationally fast compared to conventional and other advanced enhancement techniques. It is based on two important parameters M and K, where M is the average intensity value of the image, calculated from the histogram and K is the contrast intensification parameter. The given RGB image is converted into HSV color space to preserve the chromatic information contained in the original image. To enhance the image, only the V component is stretched under the control of the parameters M and K. The proposed method has been compared with conventional contrast enhancement techniques as well as with advanced algorithms. All the above techniques were based on the principle of transforming the skewed histogram of the original image into a uniform histogram. The performance of the different contrast enhancement algorithms are evaluated based on the visual quality, Tenengrad, CII and the computational time. The inter comparison of different techniques was carried out on different low contrast color images. Based on the performance analysis, we advocate that our proposed Fuzzy Logic method is well suited for contrast enhancement of low contrast color images.

Effective contrast enhancement method for color night vision

Image fusion refers to the techniques that integrate complementary information from multiple image sensors’ data in a way that makes the new images more suitable for human visual perception. The paper focuses on the low color contrast problem of linear fusion algorithms with color transfer method. Firstly, the contrast of infrared and visible images is enhanced using local histogram equalization and median filter. Then the two enhanced images are fused into the three components of a Lab image in terms of a simple linear fusion strategy. To enhance the color contrast between the target and the background, the scaling factor is introduced into the transferring equation in the b channel. Experimental results based on three different data sets show that the hot and cold targets are all popped out with intense colors while the background details present natural color appearance. Target detection experiments through target recognition area, detection rate, target-background discrimination also show that the presented method has a better performance than the former methods.

Evaluation of P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface in Real-World Contexts

Despite recent advances in brain-computer interface (BCI) development, system usability still remains a large oversight. The goal of this study was to investigate the usability of a P300-based BCI system, P300 Speller, by assessing how background noise and interface color contrast affect user performance and BCI usage preference. Fifteen able-bodied participants underwent a 2 (low and high interface color contrast) × 3 (low, medium, and high background noise level) within-subjects design experiment, in which participants were asked to type six 10-character phrases in the P300 Speller paradigm. The overall accuracy in the study was 80.2%. Participants showed higher accuracy, higher information transfer rate, bigger amplitude, and smaller latency in the high interface color contrast condition than in the low contrast condition. Participants had better performance in the noisy condition than in the quiet condition, but the background noise effects were not statistically significant in the present study. These results should give some insight to the real-world applicability of the current P300 Speller as a nonmuscular communication system, especially for individuals with severe neuromuscular disabilities.

One color contrast enhanced infrared and visible image fusion method

Color constancy (Toet and Franken, 2003 [2]; Toet, 2003 [7]) and color contrast (Scribner et al., 2000 [21]; Lee et al., 2005 [23]) are two important topics for color image fusion. The paper focuses on the low color contrast problem of linear fusion algorithms with color transfer method. Color transfer technology is popular in infrared (IR) and visible image fusion to give the fused image a natural day-time color appearance (Toet, 2003 [7]; Wang et al., 2007 [8]; Zheng and Essock, 2008 [9]). However, in the color transfer step, all three channels of the color space are processed with the same linear mapping without color enhancement, resulting in low color contrast between the target and the background (Wang et al., 2007 [8]). Based on the characteristics of the IR image, we introduce a ratio of local to global divergence of the IR image to improve the color contrast. The enhancement ratios for both hot and cold targets are larger than one, while it tends to one for the background. As a result, the proposed method pops out both hot and cold targets in color, where hot targets will appear intense red, and cold targets will appear cyan. Subjective results show visible color contrast enhancement effects. Target detection experiments through hue and saturation components of the fused image show an improvement in the hit rate for target detection, owing to larger color distance between the target and the background.

Thoracoscopic and Anatomic Landmarks of Kuntz's Nerve: Implications for Sympathetic Surgery

Kuntz's nerves (KN) have been blamed for surgical failures of endothoracic sympathectomy. The prevalence of these fibers, however, varies between the surgical (about 10%) and anatomic literature (about 80%). This clinically orientated cadaveric study was conducted to explain this discrepancy, to reveal possible reasons for the low thoracoscopic detection rate, and to define anatomic structures as possible landmarks of KNs. Video-assisted thoracoscopy was performed in 33 thoracic cavities of fresh human cadavers within 48 hours postmortem, followed by anatomic dissection of the first intercostal space. Kuntz's nerves and concomitant blood vessels were of special interest. Statistical analysis included frequencies and chi(2) tests. Kuntz's nerves were identified in 12.1% by thoracoscopy, whereas anatomic dissection revealed KNs in 66.7% (p = 0.003). Subpleural veins (mean diameter, 2.2 +/- 0.9 mm) parallel to KNs were found in 81.8%. No collateral arteries were identified. Diameters of KNs were 1.4 +/- 0.7 mm; distances between the first thoracic ganglion and the middle of KNs were 9.7 +/- 3.0 mm. Thoracoscopic recognition of these Kuntz veins was higher than that of KNs (62.5% vs 18.2%, p < 0.005). The low thoracoscopic detection rate of KNs may be due to the low color contrast of these small fibers. They have, however, most frequently concomitant subpleural veins that are easier to detect. These veins may serve as orientation landmarks of KNs and thus contribute to a more complete denervation improving the outcome of thoracoscopic sympathectomies.

Separating color from color contrast

Visual objects can be described by their color and by their color contrast. For example, a red disk in front of a white background appears "red with high color contrast," whereas a red disk in front of a slightly less-saturated red background will appear "red with low color contrast." This paper examines the visual response to color contrast in a cone-based color space. The stimulus consists of two disks whose chromaticity and/or luminance modulate in time along a line in a DKL color space; the chromaticity and luminance levels of the two disks are always identical. One disk is surrounded by a static ring whose color is at one end of the color line, and the other disk is surrounded by a static ring whose color is at the opposite end of the color line. The disks appear to modulate in antiphase (following the contrast information), yet they can also appear to be approximately the same color (following the chromatic/luminance information). The observers' task was to adjust the color angle of modulating disks until the antiphase appearance was eliminated-creating a contrast null. Observers set contrast nulls at a color angle approximately 90 deg away from the line connecting the colors of the surround rings; this result occurred in both chromoluminant and equiluminant color planes, although two observers showed a flattening near equiluminance in the chromoluminance planes. To account for the data, I present a model that contains one pathway for color and another pathway for color contrast. I show that (1) the model correctly predicts orthogonal directions in color space for the contrast nulling task; (2) the response of the contrast pathway appears to be faster than the response of the color pathway; (3) the response of the contrast pathway may mediate detection thresholds under some conditions (a finding that can account for some of the effects of surround luminance on temporal sensitivity); (4) the asynchronous modulation can be seen even when the stimulus is blurred; and (5) the asynchrony does not require a disk-ring configuration.

Age-related Changes of Reaction Time and p300 for Low-contrast Color Stimuli: Effects of Yellowing of the Aging Human Lens

We measured reaction time (RT), P300, and subjective evaluation for color Landolt-Cs with a gray color background presented on a CRT display. Seven young and 7 elderly subjects (mean ages: 21.6 and 68.4 years, respectively) participated, and the young subjects wore glasses with filters simulating spectral transmittance of an aging human lens as a test condition. The results for young subjects not wearing the filters showed that RT and P300 latency are constant among different test colors. In contrast, the results for elderly subjects showed that RT and P300 varied substantially depending upon the test colors and RT and P300 latency became longer than those of young subjects, particularly for gray and blue stimuli. In addition, the results for the young subjects with filters showed tendencies similar to those in elderly subjects. These results indicate that the yellowing of the human lens strongly influences reaction time and cognition time for color targets, suggesting that wearing the filters enables the young to simulate RT qualitatively as well as visibility of the elderly because both the simulated filter and the aging human lens modify the effective luminance, effective luminance contrast and effective color difference between the color target and the background on the retina. We also found that the reciprocal of RT and P300 latency could be expressed in a multiple regression model consisting of effective luminance, effective luminance contrast, effective color difference and age. Absolute values of RT and P300 latency in young subjects with filters, however, did not quantitatively coincide with those of the elderly subjects. There were differences of RT and P300 latency between the young with filters and the elderly, indicating that higher order age-related delay could be involved.

Low contrast vision function predicts subsequent acuity loss in an aged population: the SKI study

Can vision tests predict subsequent loss of acuity? The association between performance on several low contrast spatial vision measures, glare recovery, color discrimination, flicker sensitivity, stereopsis and ocular disease status at baseline and acuity loss 4.4 years later was examined in a large aged random sample with good initial acuity. In univariate analyses, several vision measures, retinal disease status and age were each significant predictors of subsequent acuity loss. In a multiple regression analysis, only low contrast spatial vision was a significant predictor, but the other vision measures, retinal disease status and age were not. For each doubling of low contrast spatial vision threshold at baseline, individuals were more than two times as likely to suffer subsequent significant visual acuity loss. Tests of low contrast spatial vision are strong predictors of significant subsequent visual acuity loss. These findings have implications for clinical trials, clinical management, and acceptance of these measures into clinical practice.

Comparing the visibility of low-contrast color Landolt-Cs: Effect of aging human lens

We measured response time, the number of nonresponses, response error, and subjective visibility evaluation for color Landolt-Cs with a gray color background presented on a CRT display to young and old adults (mean ages: 22.3 and 65.9 years, respectively) and to the same young adults wearing glasses with filters simulating an aging human crystalline lens. Comparing the results of elderly and young subjects without the filter, the results of the elderly subjects showed a longer response time, higher nonresponse ratio, slower response speed, and lower visibility, particularly for gray and blue stimuli. Conversely, the results for the young subjects who were fitted with the filters showed tendencies similar to those of the elderly subjects. These results indicate that the yellowing of the human lens strongly influences the visibility of color targets in the elderly and that wearing the filters enables young adults to simulate the visibility of the elderly. It suggests that the simulated filter as well as the aging human lens modifies the effective luminance, effective luminance contrast, and color difference between the color target and the background on the retina. Moreover, the relationship between the subjective evaluation and the response speed changes remarkably with age, regardless of the filters, suggesting that not only the subjective evaluation but also the evaluation of the performance, such as response speed, is important in estimating visibility and controllability in the elderly. The filter used in the present study will be an effective tool for the young to evaluate the visibility of elderly adults in terms of both response speed and subjective evaluation of visibility. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 5–12, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20071

Effect of sodium sulfite purity on color of Bodian silver staining of insect central nervous systems.

A low-contrast mauve color, different from the clear reds, purples and blue previously given by the Bodian Protargol (silver-protein) method with insect central nerve ganglia, was found to be caused by an impurity in the analytical grade sodium sulfite used in the hydroquinone silver developer. Impurities having the same effect were present in about half the samples of sulfite tested and appeared to be more complex sodium sulfoxy compounds. Recrystallization of the sulfites from hot water readily removed the impurity from every sample and restored the ability of the stain to give the desired colors.