Robust system for human airway-tree segmentation

Michael W. Graham, Jason D. Gibbs, William E. Higgins

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Robust and accurate segmentation of the human airway tree from multi-detector computed-tomography (MDCT) chest scans is vital for many pulmonary-imaging applications. As modern MDCT scanners can detect hundreds of airway tree branches, manual segmentation and semi-automatic segmentation requiring significant user intervention are impractical for producing a full global segmentation. Fully-automated methods, however, may fail to extract small peripheral airways. We propose an automatic algorithm that searches the entire lung volume for airway branches and poses segmentation as a global graph-theoretic optimization problem. The algorithm has shown strong performance on 23 human MDCT chest scans acquired by a variety of scanners and reconstruction kernels. Visual comparisons with adaptive region-growing results and quantitative comparisons with manually-defined trees indicate a high sensitivity to peripheral airways and a low false-positive rate. In addition, we propose a suite of interactive segmentation tools for cleaning and extending critical areas of the automatically segmented result. These interactive tools have potential application for image-based guidance of bronchoscopy to the periphery, where small, terminal branches can be important visual landmarks. Together, the automatic segmentation algorithm and interactive tool suite comprise a robust system for human airway-tree segmentation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMedical Imaging 2008
Subtitle of host publicationImage Processing
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
EventMedical Imaging 2008: Image Processing - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Feb 17 2008Feb 19 2008

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume6914
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Other

OtherMedical Imaging 2008: Image Processing
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period2/17/082/19/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Biomaterials
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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