A novel method for identifying a graph-based representation of 3-D microvascular networks from fluorescence microscopy image stacks.
A novel method for identifying a graph-based representation of 3-D microvascular networks from fluorescence microscopy image stacks.
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DOI：
10.1016/j.media.2014.11.007
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发表时间：
2015-02
影响因子：
10.9
通讯作者：
Miller EL
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Almasi S;Xu X;Ben-Zvi A;Lacoste B;Gu C;Miller EL
提出了一种新的方法来确定一个微血管网络的全局拓扑结构的噪声和低分辨率的荧光显微镜数据，不需要详细分割的血管结构。该方法是最适合的问题，其中的曲折的网络是相对较低的，并通过直接计算一个分段线性近似的脉管系统骨架，通过构建一个图形在三维中，其边缘表示的骨架近似和顶点位于临界点（CP）上的微脉管系统。CP被定义为血管接合处或沿血管中心线沿着具有相对较大曲率的位置。我们的方法包括两个阶段。首先，我们提供了一个CP检测技术，特别是路口，不需要任何先验的几何信息，如方向或程度。第二，检测到的节点之间的连通性是通过一个二进制并行程序（BIP）的解决方案，其变量确定是否节点之间的潜在边缘是或不包括在最终的图形确定。在这个问题中的效用函数反映了沿连接两个节点的路径沿着的基于强度的信息和结构信息。定性和定量结果证实了该方法的有效性和准确性。这种方法提供了一种正确捕获血管中的连接模式的方法，这些模式由于图像中的缺陷而被更传统的分割和二值化方案错过，这些缺陷表现为暗淡或破碎的血管。
A novel approach to determine the global topological structure of a microvasculature network from noisy and low-resolution fluorescence microscopy data that does not require the detailed segmentation of the vessel structure is proposed here. The method is most appropriate for problems where the tortuosity of the network is relatively low and proceeds by directly computing a piecewise linear approximation to the vasculature skeleton through the construction of a graph in three dimensions whose edges represent the skeletal approximation and vertices are located at Critical Points (CPs) on the microvasculature. The CPs are defined as vessel junctions or locations of relatively large curvature along the centerline of a vessel. Our method consists of two phases. First, we provide a CP detection technique that, for junctions in particular, does not require any a priori geometric information such as direction or degree. Second, connectivity between detected nodes is determined via the solution of a Binary Integer Program (BIP) whose variables determine whether a potential edge between nodes is or is not included in the final graph. The utility function in this problem reflects both intensity-based and structural information along the path connecting the two nodes. Qualitative and quantitative results confirm the usefulness and accuracy of this method. This approach provides a mean of correctly capturing the connectivity patterns in vessels that are missed by more traditional segmentation and binarization schemes because of imperfections in the images which manifest as dim or broken vessels.