This new method of image interpretation, described in previous works of the same authors with applications for simple 2D images now is generalized for 3D images and for complex medical images with many objects observed and with complicated relations between these objects.

Sources of medical images and their general characteristics.- Compressing medical images and storing them in medical databases.- Preprocessing medical images and their overall enhancement.- Algorithms and methods for the goal-oriented processing of medical images.- Pattern recognition, clustering and classification applied to selected medical images.- Automatic understanding of medical images as a new paradigm for advanced computer aiding of medical investigations.- Image understanding methods applied to medical diagnostics.

A detailed description of up-to-date methods used for computer processing and interpretation of medical images is given. The scope of the book include images acquisition, storing with compression, processing, analysis, recognition and also its automatic understanding In introduction general overview of the computer vision methods designed for medical images is presented. Next sources of medical images are presented with their general characteristics. Both traditional (like X-ray) and very modern (like PET) sources of medical images are presented. The main emphasis is placed on such properties of medical images given by particular medical imaging methods which are important form the point of view of its computer processing, analysis and recognition. The consecutive parts of the book describes compression and processing methods, including many methods developed by authors especially for medical images. After parts describing analysis and recognition of medical images come most important part, in which the new method of automatic understanding of medical images is given. This new method of image interpretation, described in previous works of the same authors with applications for simple 2D images now is generalized for 3D images and for complex medical images with many objects observed and with complicated relations between these objects.