Method for automatic detection of glandular tissue

A method for automatic detection of a tissue of predetermined nature in an organ part examined by digital X-ray radiography, comprising the steps of:

• a) establishing parameters of pre-exposure from a table of automatic optimization of parameters, a given theoretical composition and an estimated radiologic thickness of the organ part examined and for a low but sufficient dose of X-rays to obtain a pre-exposure image of sufficient quality for the differentiation of tissues of the organ part examined;
• b) establishing a minimum dose level and of a maximum dose level from a predetermined mechanical thickness of the organ part examined and conversion of these dose levels into a minimum threshold signal level and a maximum signal threshold level, readable by a detector;
• c) pre-exposing the organ part examined to obtain a pre-exposure image;
• d) creation in a zone of interest of the field of the pre-exposure image of a multi-cellular image of columns in which each cell indexed with regard to a reference point represents the logarithmic mean of the signal levels between the minimum threshold level and the maximum threshold level of a predetermined number of pixels of the detector;
• e) determination in each column of the position, with respect to the reference point, of the cell having the minimum signal level to obtain a set of retained cells;
• f) selection from the set of retained cells of the one whose position is most distant from the reference point;
• g) determination of a band, parallel to the reference point, including the retained cell, the width of which is proportional to the distance of the cell selected with respect to the reference point and search in this band for the cell having the absolute minimum signal level;
• and
• h) using the absolute minimum signal level to establish the parameters of exposure of the organ part examined by X-rays.