Object delineation in noisy images by a modified policy-iteration method

The contours of isolated objects in noisy images may be detected with a minimal cost contour detection algorithm. An algorithm that is based on the policy-iteration method for locating the closed minimal cost path is introduced. Computational results indicate that it is computationally more efficient than the dynamic programming approach. The method is applied to left ventricular contours in scintigraphic images, although it is applicable to any domain where a closed minimal cost path is to be computed in a matrix of cost coefficients