IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF NEAR-INFRARED IMAGING OF IN VIVO BLOOD VESSELS USING IMAGE FUSION METHODS

摘要

We investigate methods for improving the visual quality of in vivo images of blood vessels in the human forearm. Using a near-infrared light source and a dual CCD chip camera system capable of capturing images at visual and near-infrared spectra, we evaluate three fusion methods in terms of their capability of enhancing the blood vessels while preserving the spectral signature of the original color image. Furthermore, we investigate a possibility of removing hair in the images using a fusion rule based on the "a trous" stationary wavelet decomposition. The method with the best overall performance with both speed and quality in mind is the Intensity Injection method. Using the developed system and the methods presented in this article, it is possible to create images of high visual quality with highly emphasized blood vessels.