Image segmentation with dynamic artifacts detection and bias correction

Region-based image segmentation is well-addressed by the ChanVese (CV) model. However, this approach fails when images are affected by artifacts (outliers) and illumination bias that outweigh the actual image contrast. Here, we introduce a model for segmenting such images. In a single energy functional, we introduce 1) a dynamic artifact class preventing intensity outliers from skewing the segmentation, and 2), in Retinex-fashion, we decompose the image into a piecewise-constant structural part and a smooth bias part. The CV-segmentation terms then only act on the structure, and only in regions not identified as artifacts. The segmentation is parameterized using a phase-field, and efficiently minimized using threshold dynamics. We demonstrate the proposed model on a series of sample images from diverse modalities exhibiting artifacts and/or bias. Our algorithm typically converges within 10-50 iterations and takes fractions of a second on standard equipment to produce meaningful results. We expect our method to be useful for damaged images, and anticipate use in applications where artifacts and bias are actual features of interest, such as lesion detection and bias field correction in medical imaging, e.g., in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).