A. Giakoumaki

Bio: A. Giakoumaki is an academic researcher from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The author has contributed to research in topics: Digital watermarking & Digital Watermarking Alliance. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 10 publications receiving 516 citations. Previous affiliations of A. Giakoumaki include National Technical University of Athens.

Multiple Image Watermarking Applied to Health Information Management

Abstract: Information technology advances have brought forth new challenges in healthcare information management, due to the vast amount of medical data that needs to be efficiently stored, retrieved, and distributed, and the increased security threats that explicitly have to be addressed. The paper discusses the perspectives of digital watermarking in a range of medical data management and distribution issues, and proposes a complementary and/or alternative tool that simultaneously addresses medical data protection, archiving, and retrieval, as well as source and data authentication. The scheme imperceptibly embeds in medical images multiple watermarks conveying patient's personal and examination data, keywords for information retrieval, the physician's digital signature for authentication, and a reference message for data integrity control. Experimental results indicate the efficiency and transparency of the scheme, which conforms to the strict requirements that apply to regions of diagnostic significance

A medical image watermarking scheme based on wavelet transform

Abstract: A wavelet-based multiple watermarking scheme is proposed, which addresses the problems of medical confidentiality protection and both origin and data authentication. The scheme embeds multiple watermarks serving different purposes: a robust watermark containing the doctor's digital signature for authentication, a caption watermark with patient's personal and examination related data, and a fragile watermark for the purpose of data integrity control. Thus, the proposed added-value tool offers alternatives for different issues associated with medical data management and distribution. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the watermarking scheme, which fulfills the strict requirements concerning the acceptable alterations of medical images.

Secure and efficient health data management through multiple watermarking on medical images

Abstract: The landscape of healthcare delivery and medical data management has significantly changed over the last years, as a result of the significant advancements in information and communication technologies. Complementary and/or alternative solutions are needed to meet the new challenges, especially regarding security of the widely distributed sensitive medical information. Digital watermarking is a recently established research area with many applications; nevertheless, the potential of this technology to contribute value-added services to medical information management systems has only recently started to be realized by the research community. The paper presents a review of research efforts in the area of medical-oriented watermarking and proposes a wavelet-based multiple watermarking scheme; this scheme aims to address critical health information management issues, including origin and data authentication, protection of sensitive data, and image archiving and retrieval. In accordance with the strict limitations applying to medical images, the scheme allows the definition of a region of interest (ROI) whose diagnostic value is protected, since the only additional information embedded therein aims at integrity control. The robustness of the method is enhanced through a form of hybrid coding, which includes repetitive embedding of BCH encoded watermarks. The experimental results on different medical imaging modalities demonstrate the efficiency and transparency of the watermarking scheme.

A Multiple Watermarking Scheme Applied to Medical Image Management

Abstract: Digital watermarking is a recently emerged research area, which has the potential of providing alternative/complementary solutions for a number of issues relating to medical data management and distribution. The present paper aims to reveal the perspectives of digital watermarking in health information systems, and proposes a wavelet-based multiple watermarking scheme that addresses the issues of medical data protection, archiving, and retrieval, as well as of origin and data authentication. The scheme applies multiple watermarking in medical images, and embeds in them the physician's digital signature, patient's personal and examination data, keywords for image retrieval, and a reference watermark for the purpose of data integrity control. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and transparency of the watermarking scheme, which conforms to the strict limitations that apply to regions of diagnostic significance.

Multiple Digital Watermarking Applied to Medical Imaging

Abstract: Beyond its already established wide range of applications, digital watermarking has recently started to gain a foothold in the healthcare sector. The paper discusses the potential of multiple watermarking to address a number of health information management issues, such as protection of sensitive data, origin and data authentication, image archiving and retrieval. A wavelet-based multiple watermarking scheme focusing on these medical-oriented applications is presented; the scheme allows the physician to define a region of interest, whose diagnostic value is explicitly protected throughout the embedding process, since the only additional information inserted therein is for the purpose of integrity control. The rest part of the image casts multiple watermarks conveying the physician's digital signature, patient's sensitive data, and keywords allowing image retrieval. In order to increase data robustness, a form of hybrid coding is applied, which includes repetitive embedding of BCH encoded watermarks

Some Preliminary Comments on the DIRECTIVE 95/46/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.

Abstract: (1) Whereas the objectives of the Community, as laid down in the Treaty, as amended by the Treaty on European Union, include creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, fostering closer relations between the States belonging to the Community, ensuring economic and social progress by common action to eliminate the barriers which divide Europe, encouraging the constant improvement of the living conditions of its peoples, preserving and strengthening peace and liberty and promoting democracy on the basis of the fundamental rights recognized in the constitution and laws of the Member States and in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;

A proposed secure multiple watermarking technique based on DWT, DCT and SVD for application in medicine

Abstract: In this paper, an algorithm for multiple watermarking based on discrete wavelet transforms (DWT), discrete cosine transform (DCT) and singular value decomposition (SVD) has been proposed for healthcare applications. For identity authentication purpose, the proposed method uses three watermarks in the form of medical Lump image watermark, the doctor signature/identification code and diagnostic information of the patient as the text watermarks. In order to improve the robustness performance of the image watermark, Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) is applied to the extracted image watermark to reduce the noise effects on the watermarked image. The security of the image watermark is also enhanced by using Arnold transform before embedding into the cover. Further, the symptom and signature text watermarks are also encoded by lossless arithmetic compression technique and Hamming error correction code respectively. The compressed and encoded text watermark is then embedded into the cover image. Experimental results are obtained by varying the gain factor, different sizes of text watermarks and the different cover image modalities. The results are provided to illustrate that the proposed method is able to withstand a different of signal processing attacks and has been found to be giving excellent performance for robustness, imperceptibility, capacity and security simultaneously. The robustness performance of the method is also compared with other reported techniques. Finally, the visual quality of the watermarked image is evaluated by the subjective method also. This shows that the visual quality of the watermarked images is acceptable for diagnosis at different gain factors. Therefore the proposed method may find potential application in prevention of patient identity theft in healthcare applications.

Multiple Image Watermarking Applied to Health Information Management

Abstract: Information technology advances have brought forth new challenges in healthcare information management, due to the vast amount of medical data that needs to be efficiently stored, retrieved, and distributed, and the increased security threats that explicitly have to be addressed. The paper discusses the perspectives of digital watermarking in a range of medical data management and distribution issues, and proposes a complementary and/or alternative tool that simultaneously addresses medical data protection, archiving, and retrieval, as well as source and data authentication. The scheme imperceptibly embeds in medical images multiple watermarks conveying patient's personal and examination data, keywords for information retrieval, the physician's digital signature for authentication, and a reference message for data integrity control. Experimental results indicate the efficiency and transparency of the scheme, which conforms to the strict requirements that apply to regions of diagnostic significance

A Review of Image Watermarking Applications in Healthcare

Abstract: In this article, we focus on the complementary role of watermarking with respect to medical information security (integrity, authenticity ) and management We review sample cases where watermarking has been deployed, we conclude that watermarking has found a niche role in healthcare systems, as an instrument for protection of medical information, for secure sharing and handling of medical images The concern of medical experts on the preservation of documents diagnostic integrity remains paramount

Multi-layer security of medical data through watermarking and chaotic encryption for tele-health applications

Abstract: In this paper, we present a robust and secure watermarking approach using transform domain techniques for tele-health applications. The patient report/identity is embedding into the host medical image for the purpose of authentication, annotation and identification. For better confidentiality, we apply the chaos based encryption algorithm on watermarked image in a less complex manner. Experimental results clearly indicated that the proposed technique is highly robust and sufficient secure for various forms of attacks without any significant distortions between watermarked and cover image. Further, the performance evaluation of our method is found better to existing state-of-the-art watermarking techniques under consideration. Furthermore, quality analysis of the watermarked image is estimated by subjective measure which is beneficial in quality driven healthcare industry.