Robust Epiphyseal Extraction Method Based on Horizontal Profile Analysis of Finger Images

By existing epiphyseal extraction methods, epiphyses are not extracted accurately, because an error occurs in the detection of the finger's central axis. This paper proposes a new, more accurate epiphyseal extraction method that estimates the central axis from the top of the distal phalange to the upper part of the metacarpal. The method entails analysis of a finger's horizontal profile that detects that finger's central axis, on and from which epiphyses are detected and extracted, respectively. The result of an experiment showed that this method accurately extracts epiphyses even from finger images for which the detection of the central axis is difficult.