Development of an automatic follicle isolation tool for ovarian ultrasonographic images

Gordon E. Sarty; Milan Sonka; Weidong Liang; Roger A. Pierson

doi:10.1117/12.274170

25 April 1997 Development of an automatic follicle isolation tool for ovarian ultrasonographic images

Gordon E. Sarty, Milan Sonka, Weidong Liang, Roger A. Pierson

Proceedings Volume 3034, Medical Imaging 1997: Image Processing; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.274170
Event: Medical Imaging 1997, 1997, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

PURPOSE: To develop an automatic computer algorithm for isolating the follicles in ovarian ultrasonographic images. METHODS: A semi-automatic algorithm has been developed as the first step in the development of a totally automatic follicle isolation tool for use with ovarian ultrasonographic imaging. The algorithm is knowledge-based and depends upon the use of a priori information about the structure of the follicle. Graph searching techniques are used along with a method of assigning graph node costs that represent edge information combined with the a priori knowledge.Interactive identification of the follicle of interest is followed by, in some cases, a manual editing of an automatically defined interior boundary. After the interior boundary has been defined, the outer follicle wall border is found without further human intervention. RESULTS: Based on a test with 31 ultrasonographic images of women's ovaries made in vivo, the algorithm is able to locate the outer follicle wall to an rms accuracy of 0.59 mm +/- 0.28 mm in comparison with human expert manual boundary tracing. BREAKTHROUGHS: The isolation of ovarian follicles in ultrasonographic imaging has heretofore only been accomplished by manual tracing. Our semi-automated follicle border finding algorithm is, to the best of our knowledge, the first computerized method capable of finding the outer wall boundary of the follicle. CONCLUSIONS: The success of our semi-automatic follicle isolation algorithm clearly demonstrates the feasibility of a totally automatic tool that should have wide application in ultrasonographic studies of ovarian follicular dynamics.

Citation Download Citation

Gordon E. Sarty, Milan Sonka, Weidong Liang, and Roger A. Pierson "Development of an automatic follicle isolation tool for ovarian ultrasonographic images", Proc. SPIE 3034, Medical Imaging 1997: Image Processing, (25 April 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.274170

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