Open AccessEmbedding complementary imaging data in laser scanning microscopy micrographs by reversible watermarking
Author(s) -
Ioan-Catalin Dragoi,
Stefan G. Stanciu,
Radu Hristu,
Henri-George Coandă,
Denis E. Trancă,
Marius Popescu,
Dinu Colţuc
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.7.001127
Subject(s) - microscopy , optics , embedding , micrograph , digital watermarking , laser scanning , image processing , computer vision , artificial intelligence , computer science , laser , materials science , scanning electron microscope , image (mathematics) , physics
Complementary laser scanning microscopy micrographs are considered as pairs consisting in a master image (MI) and a slave image (SI), the latter with potential for facilitating the interpretation of the MI. We propose a strategy based on reversible watermarking for embedding a lossy compressed version of the SI into the MI. The use of reversible watermarking ensures the exact recovery of the host image. By storing and/or transmitting the watermarked MI in a single file, the information contained in both images that constitute the pair is made available to a potential end-user, which simplifies data association and transfer. Examples are presented using support images collected by two complementary techniques, confocal scanning laser microscopy and transmission laser scanning microscopy, on Hematoxylin and Eosin stained tissue fragments. A strategy for minimizing the watermarking distortions of the MI, while preserving the content of the SI, is discussed in detail.