Accurate Four-Chamber Segmentation Using Gradient-Assisted Localized Active Contour Model

초록

In this paper, we propose a novel framework to segment the four chambers of the heart automatically. First, the whole heart is coarsely extracted. This is separated into the left and right parts using a geometric analysis based on anatomical information and a subsequent power watershed. Then, the proposed gradient-assisted localized active contour model (GLACM) refines the left and right sides of the heart segmentation accurately. Our GLACM considers not only region-based information but also edge-based information for a more accurate segmentation compared with a conventional LACM. Finally, the left and right sides of the heart are separated into atrium and ventricle by minimizing the proposed split energy function that determines the boundary between the atrium and ventricle based on the shape and intensity of the heart. In experimental results using twenty clinical datasets, the proposed method identified the four chambers accurately, demonstrating that this approach can assist the cardiologist.

키워드