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Cell-competition algorithm: a new segmentation algorithm for multiple objects with irregular boundaries in ultrasound images.

Chung-Ming Chen·Yi-Hong Chou·Curtis S K Chen·Jie-Zhi Cheng·Yen-Fu Ou·Fang-Cheng Yeh·Kuei-Wu Chen
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Abstract

Segmentation of multiple objects with irregular contours and surrounding sporadic spots is a common practice in ultrasound image analysis. A new region-based approach, called cell-competition algorithm, is proposed for simultaneous segmentation of multiple objects in a sonogram. The algorithm is composed of two essential ideas. One is simultaneous cell-based deformation of regions and the other is cell competition. The cells are generated by two-pass watershed transformations. The cell-competition algorithm has been validated with 13 synthetic images of different contrast-to-noise ratios and 71 breast sonograms. Three assessments have been carried out and the results show that the boundaries derived by the cell-competition algorithm are reasonably comparable to those delineated manually. Moreover, the cell-competition algorithm is robust to the variation of regions-of-interest and a range of thresholds required for the second-pass watershed transformation. The proposed algorithm is also shown to be superior to the region-competition algorithm for both types of images.

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AlgorithmsBreast DiseasesFemaleHumansImage Interpretation, Computer-AssistedUltrasonographyUltrasonography, MammaryJournal Article

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Chung-Ming Chen, Yi-Hong Chou, Curtis S K Chen, Jie-Zhi Cheng, Yen-Fu Ou, Fang-Cheng Yeh, Kuei-Wu Chen. 2005. Cell-competition algorithm: a new segmentation algorithm for multiple objects with irregular boundaries in ultrasound images.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2005.09.011

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