Robust Medical Image Watermarking Scheme Using PSO, LWT, and Hessenberg Decomposition

Abstract

Digital imaging is a technology that is extensively employed in diverse diagnostic examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound imaging, among other modalities. Transferring a patient’s diagnostic images and medical data to a specialist physician in a distinct geographical location is conducted to facilitate an accurate diagnosis. The safeguarding of patient data privacy and confidentiality is ensured through the utilisation of smart hospital applications for medical data security. The current research presents the effective utilisation of lifting wavelet transform (LWT) and Hessenberg-based particle swarm optimization in order to generate resilient and safeguarded watermarks on ultrasound images. The empirical evidence suggests that our innovative approach outperforms our prior methodology, established through extensive testing. The watermark’s imperceptibility and accuracy are exemplified by its capacity to sustain a superior structural similarity index measure (SSIM) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), even amidst diverse image processing assaults.