Computer Observer Models for Automated Medical Image Quality Evaluation and Optimization

Visualizing the positioning of coronary stents is an important visual task for cardiologists
and affects therapeutic outcome of patients.

X-ray angiography

C.K. Abbey, A. Teymoorian, W. Schoonveld, X. Da, S. Zhang, J. S. Whiting, and M. P. Eckstein, Perceptual Assessment of Multiple Stent Deployment, Proc. SPIE (B. Sahiner and D. J. Manning, Ed.s), Vol. 6917, 691717, 2008.

Zhang Y, Pham, BT, Eckstein, M. P. (2007). Evaluation of internal noise methods for Hotelling model observers, Medical Physics, 34(8):3312-3322, (2007)

Zhang, Y, Pham, B.T., Eckstein, M. P., The Effect of Nonlinear Human Visual System Components on Performance of a Channelized Hotelling Observer Model in Structured Backgrounds, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 25, 1348-1362 (2006)

Zhang,, Y., Abbey, C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Observer performance detecting signals in globally non-stationary oriented noise, Proc. SPIE, Medical Imaging, Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment, 6146, (2006)

Zhang, Y, Pham, B.P., Eckstein, M.P., Task-based model/human observer evaluation of SPIHT wavelet compression with human visual system-based quantization, Academic Radiology, 12(3), 324-336 (2005)

Zhang, Y., Pham BT, Eckstein MP, Evaluation of internal noise methods for Hotelling observers, Proc. SPIE, Medical Imaging, Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment,5749, 162 (2005)  

Zhang, Y., Pham, B.T., Eckstein, M.P., Automated optimization of JPEG 2000 Encoder Options Based on Model Observer Performance for detecting variable signals in X-ray coronary angiograms, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 23, 459-474 (2004)

Zhang, Y., Pham, B.T., Eckstein, M.P., Evaluation of JPEG 2000 encoder options: human and model observer detection of variable signals in X-ray coronary angiograms. IEEE Trans Med Imaging.23 :613-32 (2004)

Eckstein, M.P., Zhang, Y., Pham, B.T., Metrics of medical image quality: task-based model observers vs. image discrimination/perceptual difference models, Proc SPIE Vol. 5272, 42-52, Medical Imaging: Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment, (2004)

Zhang, Y., Eckstein M.P., Pham, B.T., The effect of non-linear human visual system components on linear model observers, Proc SPIE Vol. 5272, 31-41, Medical Imaging: Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment, (2004)

Eckstein, M.P., Bartroff J.L., Abbey, C.K., Whiting, J.S., Bochud, F.O., Automated computer evaluation and optimization of image compression of x-ray coronary angiograms for signal known exactly detection tasks, Optics Express (2003)

M.P. Eckstein, Y. Zhang, B Pham, C.K. Abbey, Optimization of model observer performance for signal-known-exactly but variable tasks leads to optimized performance in signal-known-statistically tasks, Proc. SPIE (D.P. Chakraborty and E.A. Krupinski, Ed.s) 5034:123-134, 2003.

Abbey, C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Optimal shifted estimates of human-observer templates in two-alternative forced choice experiments, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 21, 429-440, (2002)

Eckstein, M.P., Abbey, C.K., B. Pham, Effect of image compression for model and human observers in signal known statistically tasks, Proc. SPIE, Image Perception, 4686,13-24, (2002)

Eckstein,M.P., The perception of medical images: 1941-2001. Optics and photonics news, 12, 34-40, (2001) 

Abbey, C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Theory for estimating human-observer templates in two-alternative forced-choice experiment. Proc. 17th Int. Conf. On Information Processing in Medical Imaging (M.F. Insana and R. Leahy, Eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, (2001).

Eckstein, M.P., Abbey, C.K., Model observers for signal-known-statistically tasks, Proc. SPIE, Image Perception and Performance, 4324, 91-103, (2001)

Abbey, C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori estimates of human observer templates, Proc. SPIE, Image Perception and Performance, 4324, 114-123, (2001)

Eckstein, M.P., Abbey C.K., Bochud, F.O, Practical guide to model observers in real and synthetic noisy backgrounds, in Handbook of Medical Imaging, Physics & Psychophysics, Ed. Beuttel, Kim and H. Kundel, SPIE Press, (2000)

C.K. Abbey and F.O. Bochud, “Modeling visual detection tasks in correlated image noise with linear model observers,”  The Handbook of Medical Imaging: Volume 1, Progress in Medical Physics and Psychophysics, (Harold Kundel, Ed.), pp. 629-654, 2000

Abbey, C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Derivation of a detectability index for correlated responses in multiple-alternative forced-choice experiments. Journal of the Optical Socitey of America A,  17, 2101-4, (2000) 

Eckstein, M.P., Abbey C.K., Bochud, F.O, Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds IV. Figures of merit for model performance in statistically non-stationary backgrounds. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 17, 206-217, (2000)

Bochud, F.O,  Abbey C.K., Eckstein, M.P., Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds III. Figures of merit for model performance in statistically non-stationary backgrounds. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 17, 193-216, (2000)

Eckstein, M.P., Abbey C.K., Bartroff, J.L., Model observer based optimization of JPEG image compression, Proc. SPIE, Image Perception and Performance, 3981, 106-115, (2000)

Eckstein M.P., Abbey C.K., Whiting, J.S., The effect of image compression in model and human observers, Proc. SPIE Image Perception, 3363, 242-252, (1999) 

Bochud F. O., Abbey C.K., Eckstein M.P., Further investigation of the effect of phase spectrum on visual detection in structured backgrounds, SPIE Image Perception, 363, 273-283 (1999) 

Eckstein M.P., Abbey C.K., Whiting, J.S., The effect of image compression in model and human observers, SPIE Image Perception, 3363, 242-252, (1999)

Eckstein, M. P., Abbey, C.A, Whiting, J.S., Human vs model observers in anatomic backgrounds Proceedings SPIE Image Perception, 3340, 15-26, (1998) 

Barrett H.H., Abbey, C.A., Eckstein M.P.,  Stabilized estimates of Hotelling observer detection performance in patient-structured noise, Proceedings SPIE Image Perception, 3340, 27-43, (1998) 

Eckstein, M.P, Ahumada, A.J, Watson, A.B., Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds, II. Effect of contrast gain control, background variations and white noise, J. of the Opt. Soc. of Am A. (Special issue on visual contrast sensitivity), 14, 2406-2419, (1997)  Abbey, C.K., Barrett, H.H.,

Eckstein, M.P.  Practical issues and methodology for using model observers as metrics of image quality. Proceedings to SPIE, Medical Imaging.  The Physics of Medical Imaging, 3032, 182-194 (1997). 

C.K. Abbey, H.H. Barett, and D.W. Wilson, "Observer signal-to-noise ratios for the ML-EM algorithm." Proc. SPIE 2712:47-58. 1996. 

C.K. Abbey and H.H. Barrett, "Linear iterative reconstruction algorithms: study of observer performance."  in  proc. 14th Int. Conf. on Information Processing in Medical Imaging (Yves Bizais, Christian Barrilot, and Robert Di Paola, Eds.) , Klower Academic, Dordrecht 65-76, 1995. 

Eckstein, M.P., Whiting, J.S.  Lesion detection in structured noise. Academic Radiology, 3, 249-253 (1995).