[en] This work has developed a new method for digital image contour detection which can be successfully applied to images presenting objects of interest with high proximity and presenting complexities related with background abrupt intensity fluctuations. The developed method makes use of fuzzy logic and declivity standard deviation (Fuzzy Declivity Standard Deviation FuzDec) to image processing and contour detection. Contour detection is an important task to estimate two-phase flow features through bubble segmentation in order to obtain parameters as void fraction and bubble diameter. FuzDec was applied to natural circulation instability images which were experimentally acquired. Image acquisition was done at the Natural Circulation Circuit (CCN) of the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN) in Brazil. This facility is all made up with glass tubes allowing easy visualization and imaging of one-phase and two-phase flow patterns during natural circulation cycles under low pressures. Results confirm that the proposed detector can improve contour identification when compared to classical contour detector algorithms, without using smoothing algorithms or human intervention. (author)