299 research outputs found
Attention Gated Networks: Learning to Leverage Salient Regions in Medical Images
We propose a novel attention gate (AG) model for medical image analysis that
automatically learns to focus on target structures of varying shapes and sizes.
Models trained with AGs implicitly learn to suppress irrelevant regions in an
input image while highlighting salient features useful for a specific task.
This enables us to eliminate the necessity of using explicit external
tissue/organ localisation modules when using convolutional neural networks
(CNNs). AGs can be easily integrated into standard CNN models such as VGG or
U-Net architectures with minimal computational overhead while increasing the
model sensitivity and prediction accuracy. The proposed AG models are evaluated
on a variety of tasks, including medical image classification and segmentation.
For classification, we demonstrate the use case of AGs in scan plane detection
for fetal ultrasound screening. We show that the proposed attention mechanism
can provide efficient object localisation while improving the overall
prediction performance by reducing false positives. For segmentation, the
proposed architecture is evaluated on two large 3D CT abdominal datasets with
manual annotations for multiple organs. Experimental results show that AG
models consistently improve the prediction performance of the base
architectures across different datasets and training sizes while preserving
computational efficiency. Moreover, AGs guide the model activations to be
focused around salient regions, which provides better insights into how model
predictions are made. The source code for the proposed AG models is publicly
available.Comment: Accepted for Medical Image Analysis (Special Issue on Medical Imaging
with Deep Learning). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1804.03999, arXiv:1804.0533
Attention and Pooling based Sigmoid Colon Segmentation in 3D CT images
Segmentation of the sigmoid colon is a crucial aspect of treating
diverticulitis. It enables accurate identification and localisation of
inflammation, which in turn helps healthcare professionals make informed
decisions about the most appropriate treatment options. This research presents
a novel deep learning architecture for segmenting the sigmoid colon from
Computed Tomography (CT) images using a modified 3D U-Net architecture. Several
variations of the 3D U-Net model with modified hyper-parameters were examined
in this study. Pyramid pooling (PyP) and channel-spatial Squeeze and Excitation
(csSE) were also used to improve the model performance. The networks were
trained using manually annotated sigmoid colon. A five-fold cross-validation
procedure was used on a test dataset to evaluate the network's performance. As
indicated by the maximum Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 56.92+/-1.42%,
the application of PyP and csSE techniques improves segmentation precision. We
explored ensemble methods including averaging, weighted averaging, majority
voting, and max ensemble. The results show that average and majority voting
approaches with a threshold value of 0.5 and consistent weight distribution
among the top three models produced comparable and optimal results with DSC of
88.11+/-3.52%. The results indicate that the application of a modified 3D U-Net
architecture is effective for segmenting the sigmoid colon in Computed
Tomography (CT) images. In addition, the study highlights the potential
benefits of integrating ensemble methods to improve segmentation precision.Comment: 8 Pages, 6 figures, Accepted at IEEE DICTA 202
A unified 3D framework for Organs at Risk Localization and Segmentation for Radiation Therapy Planning
Automatic localization and segmentation of organs-at-risk (OAR) in CT are essential pre-processing steps in medical image analysis tasks, such as radiation therapy planning. For instance, the segmentation of OAR surrounding tumors enables the maximization of radiation to the tumor area without compromising the healthy tissues. However, the current medical workflow requires manual delineation of OAR, which is prone to errors and is annotator-dependent. In this work, we aim to introduce a unified 3D pipeline for OAR localization-segmentation rather than novel localization or segmentation architectures. To the best of our knowledge, our proposed framework fully enables the exploitation of 3D context information inherent in medical imaging. In the first step, a 3D multi-variate regression network predicts organs' centroids and bounding boxes. Secondly, 3D organ-specific segmentation networks are leveraged to generate a multi-organ segmentation map. Our method achieved an overall Dice score of 0.9260±0.18% on the VISCERAL dataset containing CT scans with varying fields of view and multiple organs
Machine Learning/Deep Learning in Medical Image Processing
Many recent studies on medical image processing have involved the use of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL). This special issue, “Machine Learning/Deep Learning in Medical Image Processing”, has been launched to provide an opportunity for researchers in the area of medical image processing to highlight recent developments made in their fields with ML/DL. Seven excellent papers that cover a wide variety of medical/clinical aspects are selected in this special issue
Automated liver tissues delineation based on machine learning techniques: A survey, current trends and future orientations
There is no denying how machine learning and computer vision have grown in
the recent years. Their highest advantages lie within their automation,
suitability, and ability to generate astounding results in a matter of seconds
in a reproducible manner. This is aided by the ubiquitous advancements reached
in the computing capabilities of current graphical processing units and the
highly efficient implementation of such techniques. Hence, in this paper, we
survey the key studies that are published between 2014 and 2020, showcasing the
different machine learning algorithms researchers have used to segment the
liver, hepatic-tumors, and hepatic-vasculature structures. We divide the
surveyed studies based on the tissue of interest (hepatic-parenchyma,
hepatic-tumors, or hepatic-vessels), highlighting the studies that tackle more
than one task simultaneously. Additionally, the machine learning algorithms are
classified as either supervised or unsupervised, and further partitioned if the
amount of works that fall under a certain scheme is significant. Moreover,
different datasets and challenges found in literature and websites, containing
masks of the aforementioned tissues, are thoroughly discussed, highlighting the
organizers original contributions, and those of other researchers. Also, the
metrics that are used excessively in literature are mentioned in our review
stressing their relevancy to the task at hand. Finally, critical challenges and
future directions are emphasized for innovative researchers to tackle, exposing
gaps that need addressing such as the scarcity of many studies on the vessels
segmentation challenge, and why their absence needs to be dealt with in an
accelerated manner.Comment: 41 pages, 4 figures, 13 equations, 1 table. A review paper on liver
tissues segmentation based on automated ML-based technique
Automatic Pancreas Segmentation and 3D Reconstruction for Morphological Feature Extraction in Medical Image Analysis
The development of highly accurate, quantitative automatic medical image segmentation techniques, in comparison to manual techniques, remains a constant challenge for medical image analysis. In particular, segmenting the pancreas from an abdominal scan presents additional difficulties: this particular organ has very high anatomical variability, and a full inspection is problematic due to the location of the pancreas behind the stomach. Therefore, accurate, automatic pancreas segmentation can consequently yield quantitative morphological measures such as volume and curvature, supporting biomedical research to establish the severity and progression of a condition, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, it can also guide subject stratification after diagnosis or before clinical trials, and help shed additional light on detecting early signs of pancreatic cancer. This PhD thesis delivers a novel approach for automatic, accurate quantitative pancreas segmentation in mostly but not exclusively Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), by harnessing the advantages of machine learning and classical image processing in computer vision. The proposed approach is evaluated on two MRI datasets containing 216 and 132 image volumes, achieving a mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 84:1 4:6% and 85:7 2:3% respectively. In order to demonstrate the universality of the approach, a dataset containing 82 Computer Tomography (CT) image volumes is also evaluated and achieves mean DSC of 83:1 5:3%. The proposed approach delivers a contribution to computer science (computer vision) in medical image analysis, reporting better quantitative pancreas segmentation results in comparison to other state-of-the-art techniques, and also captures detailed pancreas boundaries as verified by two independent experts in radiology and radiography. The contributions’ impact can support the usage of computational methods in biomedical research with a clinical translation; for example, the pancreas volume provides a prognostic biomarker about the severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, a generalisation of the proposed segmentation approach successfully extends to other anatomical structures, including the kidneys, liver and iliopsoas muscles using different MRI sequences. Thus, the proposed approach can incorporate into the development of a computational tool to support radiological interpretations of MRI scans obtained using different sequences by providing a “second opinion”, help reduce possible misdiagnosis, and consequently, provide enhanced guidance towards targeted treatment planning
Machine Learning in Medical Image Analysis
Machine learning is playing a pivotal role in medical image analysis. Many algorithms based on machine learning have been applied in medical imaging to solve classification, detection, and segmentation problems. Particularly, with the wide application of deep learning approaches, the performance of medical image analysis has been significantly improved. In this thesis, we investigate machine learning methods for two key challenges in medical image analysis: The first one is segmentation of medical images. The second one is learning with weak supervision in the context of medical imaging.
The first main contribution of the thesis is a series of novel approaches for image segmentation. First, we propose a framework based on multi-scale image patches and random forests to segment small vessel disease (SVD) lesions on computed tomography (CT) images. This framework is validated in terms of spatial similarity, estimated lesion volumes, visual score ratings and was compared with human experts. The results showed that the proposed framework performs as well as human experts. Second, we propose a generic convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture called the DRINet for medical image segmentation. The DRINet approach is robust in three different types of segmentation tasks, which are multi-class cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) segmentation on brain CT images, multi-organ segmentation on abdomen CT images, and multi-class tumour segmentation on brain magnetic resonance
(MR) images. Finally, we propose a CNN-based framework to segment acute ischemic lesions on diffusion weighted (DW)-MR images, where the lesions are highly variable in terms of position, shape, and size. Promising results were achieved on a large clinical dataset.
The second main contribution of the thesis is two novel strategies for learning with weak supervision. First, we propose a novel strategy called context restoration to make use of the images without annotations. The context restoration strategy is a proxy learning process based on the CNN, which extracts semantic features from images without using annotations. It was validated on classification, localization, and segmentation problems and was superior to existing strategies. Second, we propose a patch-based framework using multi-instance learning to distinguish normal and abnormal SVD on CT images, where there are only coarse-grained labels available. Our framework was observed to work better than classic methods and clinical practice.Open Acces
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