Low complexity image compression algorithm based on hybrid DPCM for wireless capsule endoscopy

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Highlights

  • A low computational complexity image compression algorithm for capsule endoscopy using hybrid DPCM is proposed.

  • Competitive compression ratio for soft images and better compression ratio for sharp images is achieved.

  • The proposed hybrid DPCM is lossless and simple, which provide good result for all types of images.

  • A new colour space YEN is used, which designed for WCE images and modified signed Golomb Rice code with small skip code is designed.

Abstract

A lossless image compression algorithm with low computational complexity and to provide high image quality in limited bandwidth transmission is proposed in the paper. New algorithm is based on a new YEN colour transform for WCE images, improved and modified DPCM technique known as hybrid DPCM and new signed Golomb code with less bits skip code. The proposed compression algorithm provides better and efficient computational simplicity and improves compression ratio by 2.3% as compared to traditionally used DPCM based compression algorithms.

Introduction

Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) is a non-invasive procedure that uses a capsule size electronic device to extract the pictorial view of Gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Once this device is swallowed by patient, it captures images of GI tract with inbuilt CMOS camera during its journey from larynx to anus. Captured images are transmitted wirelessly to data logger wrapped around the waist of the patient. Received images in data logger are examined by the doctor with the help of Personal Computer [1]. WCE made complete examination of small bowel possible, which is main challenge with conventional endoscopy. The easy and comfortable procedure of WCE as compared to conventional endoscopy has attracted the patients to use it. Accurate diagnosing of disease requires the transmission of best quality (original) images [2]. Wireless transmission of such images are not possible due to limited bandwidth of radio frequency antenna and limited power supply (8–10 hrs) in WCE [3]. In order to transmit a good quality image under these constrains, image compression is an efficient technique. Image compression algorithms are classified in two categories i.e., lossy and lossless. The lossy compression algorithms provide better compression efficiency, but it reduce the image quality and increase hardware cost. However, the lossless compression algorithms provide original image quality at low hardware cost, but they have less compression efficiency. Low computational complexity algorithm will be preferable for WCE due to its limitations. Since lossless image compression algorithm provide original image quality and has low complexity, it is the best choice for WCE.

Many lossless algorithms have been proposed in literature for WCE. CMOS camera of the capsule send the data in Colour Filter Array (CFA) pattern, therefore in [4] lossless standard JPEG-LS has been applied on CFA data. But compression algorithm on CFA data provide less compression efficiency due to non-homogeneity between neighboring CFA pixels. Therefore, to achieve more compression efficiency, transformation and filtration of CFA pixels has been done prior to the compression process in [5]. Implementation of transformation and filtration in real time consumes more power and requires larger area, which are the overheads of WCE. Improvement in technology leads to development of CMOS camera, which provide RGB output format data [[6], [7], [8]]. In [9] JPEG-LS compression algorithm has been applied on YUV colour space instead of CFA data to achieve more compression efficiency. However, prediction modes of Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) in JPEG-LS are dependent on upper row pixels values to predict the current pixel value. Hence, one row of image need to be stored, which requires extra buffer memory, but it requires extra area and consumes extra power. Moreover, JPEG-LS also required 1.9 kb of additional register array to store contexts and parameters. The high computational complexity of prediction modes in JPEG-LS increases the hardware cost, which is limited in WCE Furthermore, lossless image compression algorithm based on 1D DPCM has been applied on YEF colour transform [10]. In 1D DPCM, extra buffer memory is not required as previous pixel value is considered as prediction value, which leads to low computational complexity. However, it has been observed that DPCM provide less compression efficiency for sharp images where sudden change in colour and structure is observed. To achieve high compression efficiency for sharp image, methods like hierarchical prediction [11], template matching [12] and context matching [13] has been proposed. The high computational complexity of these methods require high memory and consume more power, which is limited in WCE. The endoscopic images generally contains soft images. But sharp images are often found in WCE images due to inadequate lighting system, abnormal moment of capsule and reflection of light through liquids on skin. In the stomach and small bowel regions, images with acids, bubble, disease, worms and undigested material also contains sharp edges. For transmission, difference error value obtained from DPCM is encoded into binary form using entropy coding. An entropy coder with single context adaptive Golomb-Rice (G–R) encoder has been proposed [14]. However, the performance of G–R code degrade for large difference error values, which is often found in sharp images. Moreover, extra memory is needed to regularly update K parameter, which consume extra power and increases hardware cost.

In this paper, a low computational complexity lossless image compression algorithm is proposed for WCE. The algorithm is based on YEN colour space, Hybrid DPCM and Golomb family encoders. In the proposed scheme, early RGB colour image is transformed into new YEN colour space using RGB-YEN colour transform, which is derived based on special properties of endoscopic images. After that, YEN components are compressed by using hybrid DPCM. Hybrid DPCM is a combination of DPCM and adaptive threshold DPCM. Finally, Y component is encoded using signed G–R code, whereas other components such as E and N are encoded using G–R code.

Rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 described the basic concepts of predictive codes scheme. In Section 3, building blocks of proposed algorithm are described. Proposed algorithm is demonstrated and analyzed in Section 4 and 5. Section 6 concludes the paper.

Section snippets

Differential pulse code modulation

Traditional lossless compression algorithm JPEG-LS is based on predictive coding i.e. DPCM [9]. DPCM in JPEG-LS has 7 prediction modes, which are used to predict the accurate current pixel value, which is predicted from the neighboring informative pixels. The predicted value is then subtracted with the original pixel value to produce a difference error value. Difference error values obtained from seven different prediction modes are compared and lowest among them is chosen for further process.

Analysis of endoscopic image

For analysis purpose first of all 200 endoscopic image samples, taken at 20 different positions of GI tract from larynx to anus has been considered. By analyzing these samples, it is observed that

  • 1

    Red colour dominate over green and blue colour

  • 2

    Green and blue colour shows almost similar pattern.

For example an endoscopic image of Ileum (small bowel) is shown in Fig. 3a. Fig. 3b represents its colour intensity distribution and Fig. 3c represents the pixels intensity value of different colour

Proposed algorithm

Based on the analysis of endoscopic images, an efficient image compression algorithm is constructed for WCE images. The proposed algorithm is divided into three steps i.e. RGB-YEN colour transform, hybrid DPCM and Golomb family encoders as shown in Fig. 8. YEN colour space is designed based on special properties of endoscopic images, where RGB colour image is transform into YEN colour space. Y, E and N components leads to intra spectrum redundancy, which help in reducing information. Hybrid

Performance analysis

The proposed algorithm is applied on 200 test images of whole GI tract and its performance is measured. The test images are chosen based on amount of time spent by capsule in GI tract and some disease oriented images are also included. The performance of compression algorithm is calculated using two parameters, i.e. the compression ratio (CR) and peak signal noise ratio (PSNR) numerically. The CR and PSNR is given asCR=1Total bits after compressionTotal bits before compression×100andPSNR=20×log

Conclusion

A new hybrid DPCM based image compression algorithm for WCE application has been proposed. First of all, new YEN colour space is created for WCE, which is based on the special properties of endoscopic images. RGB colour image is transformed into YEN colour space using RGB-YEN colour transform, which results in better compression efficiency. After conversion hybrid DPCM compression technique is applied, which is a combination of DPCM and AT-DPCM predictive codes. It is simple predictive coding,

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