Image enhancement techniques for improving medical image quality

Medical images often suffer from low contrast and lost details due to limitations in dynamic range, hindering accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. This paper presents a novel image enhancement technique that synergistically combines nonlinear dynamic range compression in the spatial domain with histogram matching in the logarithmic transform domain. This approach aims to enhance contrast while preserving essential diagnostic details. A new quantitative evaluation measure is proposed to objectively compare enhancement performance. Extensive experiments on sample X-ray and facial images demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms traditional techniques like histogram equalization, achieving superior contrast enhancement without introducing artifacts. This method holds promise for improving the quality and diagnostic utility of medical images.