title: Population-based incremental interactive concept learning for image retrieval by stochastic string segmentations.
abstract: We propose a method for concept-based medical image retrieval that is a superset of existing semantic-based image retrieval methods. We conceive of a concept as an incremental and interactive formalization of the user's conception of an object in an image. The premise is that such a concept is closely related to a user's specific preferences and subjectivity and, thus, allows to deal with the complexity and content-dependency of medical image content. We describe an object in terms of multiple continuous boundary features and represent an object concept by the stochastic characteristics of an object population. A population-based incrementally learning technique, in combination with relevance feedback, is then used for concept customization. The user determines the speed and direction of concept customization using a single parameter that defines the degree of exploration and exploitation of the search space. Images are retrieved from a database in a limited number of steps based upon the customized concept. To demonstrate our method we have performed concept-based image retrieval on a database of 292 digitized X-ray images of cervical vertebrae with a variety of abnormalities. The results show that our method produces precise and accurate results when doing a direct search. In an open-ended search our method efficiently and effectively explores the search space.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Group Rotterdam, Room Ee2167, Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands. s.ghebreab@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Sennay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghebreab
authors.forename: C Carl
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: Arnold W M
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Smeulders
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003628:Database Management Systems; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018401:Sample Size; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013269:Stochastic Processes