An optoelectronic detection system using two electrically addressed spatial light modulators in an optical correlator has been constructed to find regions of interest in cervical smear slides using the hit/miss transform algorithm. The purpose of the detector is to locate abnormal cells in the cervical smear and mark the region of interest for further classification by a second stage to the overall system. In addition, an image database of characteristic monolayer cervical smear images has been constructed for testing the system. The optoelectronic processing of cytological specimens can in theory provide both an improvement in the speed of scanning a slide for a region of interest and also a decrease in current manual screening errors. Results of the optoelectronic correlator and corresponding computer simulations will be discussed as well as further means of improving the system. Conclusions about further steps in the implementation of a complete medical diagnostic system including classification of regions of interest and improvements for automation will also be addressed.

Date Published: 1 November 1996
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 2848, Materials, Devices, and Systems for Optoelectronic Processing, (1 November 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.256156

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2848:
Materials, Devices, and Systems for Optoelectronic Processing
John A. Neff; Bahram Javidi, Editor(s)