Evaluation of a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm in 3D intraoperative ultrasound brain angiography

Biomed Tech (Berl). 2013 Jun;58(3):293-302. doi: 10.1515/bmt-2012-0089.

Abstract

In this work, we adapted a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm for vascular structures to extract cerebral blood vessels in the 3D intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiographic (3D-iUSA) data of the brain. We quantitatively evaluated the segmentation method with a physical vascular phantom. The geometrical features of the segmentation model generated by the algorithm were compared with the theoretical tube values and manual delineations provided by observers. For a silicon tube with a radius of 2 mm, the results showed that the algorithm overestimated the lumen radii values by about 1 mm, representing one voxel in the 3D-iUSA data. However, the observers were more hindered by noise and artifacts in the data, resulting in a larger overestimation of the tube lumen (twice the reference size). The first results on 3D-iUSA patient data showed that the algorithm could correctly restitute the main vascular segments with realistic geometrical features data, despite noise, artifacts and unclear blood vessel borders. A future aim of this work is to provide neurosurgeons with a visualization tool to navigate through the brain during aneurysm clipping operations.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Blood Flow Velocity / physiology
  • Cerebral Arteries / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Arteries / physiology*
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / physiology*
  • Echoencephalography / instrumentation
  • Echoencephalography / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Monitoring, Intraoperative / methods*
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated / methods*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / methods*