KEYWORDS: Image segmentation, 3D modeling, Prostate, Medical imaging, Bladder, 3D image processing, Human-machine interfaces, Magnetic resonance imaging, Chemical elements, Heart
Segmenting 2D and 3D images is a crucial and challenging problem in medical image analysis. Although several image segmentation algorithms have been proposed for different applications, no universal method currently exists. Moreover, their use is usually limited when detection of complex and multiple adjacent objects of interest is needed. In addition, the continually increasing volumes of medical imaging scans require more efficient segmentation software design and highly usable applications. In this context, we present an extension of our previous segmentation framework which allows the combination of existing explicit deformable models in an efficient and transparent way, handling simultaneously different segmentation strategies and interacting with a graphic user interface (GUI). We present the object-oriented design and the general architecture which consist of two layers: the GUI at the top layer, and the processing core filters at the bottom layer. We apply the framework for segmenting different real-case medical image scenarios on public available datasets including bladder and prostate segmentation from 2D MRI, and heart segmentation in 3D CT. Our experiments on these concrete problems show that this framework facilitates complex and multi-object segmentation goals while providing a fast prototyping open-source segmentation tool.
A novel algorithm to evaluate the quality of surface segmentations extracted from 3D images is presented. The procedure calculates the volume enclosed between the segmented object represented by a triangular mesh and a reference one. The indicator is computed by means of a robust and efficient ray-tracing algorithm. This algorithm is fully parallelizable, and it can run even on GPUs architectures. The method is validated against synthetic cases and segmentations of real medical images.
Medical ultrasound image acquisition is a process that depends heavily on the skills of the operator. Simulation- based medical education has proven effective as a means to improve professional's performance and reduce patient's stress. In this paper, we implement and compare two modern ultrasound simulation models aimed for training. Both methods are able to produce images at a speed suitable for real-time application, and are based in CT images as a source for the simulation.
The removal of non-brain regions in neuroimaging is a critical task to perform a favorable preprocessing. The skull-stripping depends on different factors including the noise level in the image, the anatomy of the subject being scanned and the acquisition sequence. For these and other reasons, an ideal brain extraction method should be fast, accurate, user friendly, open-source and knowledge based (to allow for the interaction with the algorithm in case the expected outcome is not being obtained), producing stable results and making it possible to automate the process for large datasets. There are already a large number of validated tools to perform this task but none of them meets the desired characteristics. In this paper we introduced an open source brain extraction tool (OSBET), composed of four steps using simple well-known operations such as: optimal thresholding, binary morphology, labeling and geometrical analysis that aims to assemble all the desired features. We present an experiment comparing OSBET with other six state-of-the-art techniques against a publicly available dataset consisting of 40 T1-weighted 3D scans and their corresponding manually segmented images. OSBET gave both: a short duration with an excellent accuracy, getting the best Dice Coefficient metric. Further validation should be performed, for instance, in unhealthy population, to generalize its usage for clinical purposes.
Background and motivation: Real-time ultrasound simulation refers to the process of computationally creating fully synthetic ultrasound images instantly. Due to the high value of specialized low cost training for healthcare professionals, there is a growing interest in the use of this technology and the development of high fidelity systems that simulate the acquisitions of echographic images. The objective is to create an efficient and reproducible simulator that can run either on notebooks or desktops using low cost devices. Materials and methods: We present an interactive ultrasound simulator based on CT data. This simulator is based on ray-casting and provides real-time interaction capabilities. The simulation of scattering that is coherent with the transducer position in real time is also introduced. Such noise is produced using a simplified model of multiplicative noise and convolution with point spread functions (PSF) tailored for this purpose. Results: The computational efficiency of scattering maps generation was revised with an improved performance. This allowed a more efficient simulation of coherent scattering in the synthetic echographic images while providing highly realistic result. We describe some quality and performance metrics to validate these results, where a performance of up to 55fps was achieved. Conclusion: The proposed technique for real-time scattering modeling provides realistic yet computationally efficient scatter distributions. The error between the original image and the simulated scattering image was compared for the proposed method and the state-of-the-art, showing negligible differences in its distribution.
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