1. An image processing method comprising: receiving data representing an image; applying simulated annealing to the data to delineate an object of interest in the received image against a background by estimating a boundary of the object and optimizing a fit of the region within this estimated boundary to the region contained within the actual boundary of the object, said simulated annealing using parallel Markov chains, which start from different states, the simulated annealing including: initializing each parallel Markov chain with a starting temperature, and each chain configured to accept a proposed change of state in realizing a solution; calculating fitness values of states of the Markov chains which have the same simulated annealing temperature, calculating the standard deviation of said fitness values, and adapting a simulated annealing cooling schedule based on said standard deviation, and exchanging information between the Markov chains or exchanging states between the Markov chains, or exchanging both information and states, between the Markov chains, wherein a programmed computing device is configured to implement the receiving, implement the simulated annealing, calculate the fitness value, calculate the standard deviation, adapt the cooling schedule and the exchange of information and states.