1. Arterial radius estimation from microscopic data using a new algorithm for circle parameter estimation
- Author
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Remco T. A. Megens, Bart M. ter Haar Romeny, Marc A. M. J. van Zandvoort, Han J. W. van Triest, Hans C. van Assen, Fysiologie, Biomedische Technologie, RS: CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, and Medical Image Analysis
- Subjects
Computer science ,Instrumentation ,Biomedical Engineering ,Image processing ,Sensitivity and Specificity ,computer vision ,Pattern Recognition, Automated ,Hough transform ,law.invention ,Biomaterials ,multiphoton processes ,scanning microscopy ,law ,Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ,Humans ,Image resolution ,Microscopy, Confocal ,Anatomy, Cross-Sectional ,Estimation theory ,Hough transforms ,Reproducibility of Results ,Arteries ,Radius ,Image Enhancement ,Integral transform ,Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,image processing ,Cross section (geometry) ,Algorithm ,Algorithms - Abstract
We develop and test a new method for automatic determi- nation of vessel wall diameters from image stacks obtained using two- photon laser scanning microscopy TPLSM on viable arteries in per- fusion flow chambers. To this extent, a new method is proposed for estimating the parameters of a circle describing the inner diameter of the blood vessels. The new method is based on the Hough transform and the observation that three points that are not colinear uniquely define a circle. By only storing the estimated center location, the com- putational and memory costs of the Hough transform can be greatly reduced. We test the algorithm on 20 images and compare the result with a ground-truth established by human volunteers and a standard least-squares technique. With errors of 3 to 5%, the algorithm enables accurate estimation of the vessel diameters from image stacks contain- ing only small parts of the vessel cross section. Combined with TPLSM imaging of anatomical vessel wall properties, potentially, the algo- rithm enables the correlation of structural and functional properties of large intact arteries simultaneously, without requirements for addi- tional experiments. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.3368679
- Published
- 2010