A soft computing method for the removal of pixelation in micro-endoscopic images

Flexible micro-endoscopes with dimensions of as small as 1.0mm in outer diameter and as long as 3.0m in length produce images that have a 'honeycomb' pattern due to the spaces between the individual collection optical fibers contained in the imaging counduit. This pattern is found to exhibit a definable spatial frequency that irs discrete from that of the desired information or the actual image of interest. By applying a filter and by sharpening the contrast between adjacent pixels, it was possible to remove the honeycomb pattern without significant degradation to the visual quality of the image. The technique described employs Fourier analysis to analyze the image so as to define the 'noise' component. Then a discrete band-reject frequency filter was applied to both the original and sharpened images, resulting in the effective removal of the honeycomb pattern. The advantages and limitations of the image processing technique are discussed.