DTCWT with fuzzy based thresholding for despeckling of ultrasound images

The ultrasound images are used extensively for diagnosis purposes due to its non-invasiveness, portability and cost effectiveness. The presence of speckle continues to affect the readability of the image. The proposed algorithm attempts to despeckle ultrasound images using Dual Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DTCWT) and Possibilistic Fuzzy C means (PFCM) clustering. The increased directionality and shift invariance makes the DTCWT a good candidate for speckle reduction. PFCM is employed for separating the information from noise. The improved efficiency of the algorithm is established through Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), Mean Structural SIMilarity Index (MSSIM) values.