An Application of the Curvature Scale Space Shape Descriptor for Forensic Human Identification Based on Orthopantomograms

摘要

This paper is devoted to the problem of forensic human identification based on the application of dental biometrics. For this purpose digital orthopantomogram images are used. The complete scheme of the approach is described. It starts with the image enhancement by means of the Laplacian pyramid decomposition. Secondly, the segmentation of an image into sub-images covering single teeth is performed. The process is based on determining the line between the upper and lower jaws by means of integral projections and, later, image intensity and types of teeth. For each obtained sub-image, covering a single tooth, its shape is extracted and the outer contour of this shape is traced. Thus, a shape descriptor can be applied in order to represent an object for the later identification. In this paper, the Curvature Scale Space algorithm is applied and investigated as one of the elements of the biometric identification approach based on digital orthopantomogram images.