Automated Analysis of Digital Images of the Skull
Anatomical reference points, classification of skulls, Automated analysis, and Results are some of the key elements of a successful digital skull analysis. This article explains the steps involved and how to start using the tool to improve your research. The following sections provide further guidance. You may be interested in reading the article or downloading the sample images. We have compiled a set of helpful tips to guide you through the entire process. Continue reading to discover more.
Anatomical reference points
Anatomical reference points are the landmarks that define a certain aspect of the skull. These landmarks can be considered as the yardstick of measurement. The farther inferiorly they are placed, the more asymmetry is created in the measurement process. A central reference plane is a line perpendicular to the horizontal plane and the further inferiorly they are placed, the more asymmetry there will be in the measurement process.
The juga measuring point is easy to identify and reproduce. This reference point is independent of the radiological technology used. The J-J distance was analyzed in two studies. In both cases, there were no statistical differences between PA radiography and three-dimensional skull radiography. However, Kilic et al. showed that the lateral skull of the control group was more symmetric than that of the treatment group.
Classification of skulls
Human skulls have distinctive physical characteristics that require accurate management. For example, inaccurately labeled specimens may not be as valuable as they appear. And improper labeling may compromise the authenticity of a collection. As such, accurate classification is necessary for cost-effective storage. In order to accomplish this goal, a skull collection management system should be in place. Such a system should include call numbers that ensure that a skull belongs to a particular collection and facilitate identification.
In this study, skull digital images were used as training data. These images were captured by the same person, so there was no variation in the point of view. Moreover, camera settings were controlled for uniform resolution. Seven different skull angles were considered. In addition, the study also used samples of 24 complete skulls with teeth attached. Its accuracy was evaluated based on a total of 120,000 skull images. The results showed that this approach is an excellent starting point for automatic analysis.
Automated analysis
MRIs are often used to analyze the brain and other anatomical structures. However, the space between the skull and brain is dark, resulting in unsettled edges. The common solutions to these problems are not standardized, and there is a lack of software for automatic skull stripping. The proposed algorithm aims to overcome these problems by minimizing these limitations. Here are some of the steps used for automatic skull stripping.
First, the proposed method extracts brain tissue. Then, the algorithm part uses prior anatomical knowledge to refine the model. We validated the proposed method on thirty 3D skull scans of male Caucasians using a dataset of 58 craniometric landmarks. The accuracy of the final results was assessed using statistical analysis, as well as by visual assessment. The proposed method is highly accurate and scalable.
Results
Several approaches are being explored to improve the quality of digital images of the skull. Some of these methods use morphological operators to extract brain tissue from skull images. They provide satisfactory results; however, many of them suffer from the limitations of the programming environment. To address these issues, this research presents an algorithm that uses thresholding as the basic processing step. This allows accurate separation of structures. The algorithm will be evaluated using a large database of images, including images with a higher level of complexity. The proposed method will also be compared to other techniques that are widely used for skull stripping and gray-scale morphology.
Currently, the most common method for assessing skull radiodensity is CT imaging. The use of a phantom enables the analysis of CT scans of the skull. CT images can provide valuable information about the anatomy of the skull. For example, the thickness of the skull limits the intensity of the beam, making it difficult to identify acute infarcts. Further, this technique reduces the risk of radiation exposure to surrounding tissues and organs.
Future work
In the field of human anthropology, a database of digital skull images is crucial to future work on the human psyche. These skulls are essential for research in various fields. Currently, these images are often used as source material for archaeological projects. Future work with these skull images will be made much easier by the availability of the skull-to-face database and sophisticated computer algorithms. Here are three examples of projects that will use skull-to-face data.