Authors:
Yongjian Yu
1
and
Jue Wang
2
Affiliations:
1
Axon Connected, LLC, Earlysville, VA 22936, U.S.A.
;
2
Department of Mathematics, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308, U.S.A.
Keyword(s):
Segmentation, Active Contour, Level Set, Fluorescent Microscopy, Clue Cells.
Abstract:
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) increases the risk for preterm birth. Immunofluorescent assay provides accurate counting of the clue cells. However, the massive data make it challenging to manually interpret. Towards automatic BV diagnostics, we present a coupled active contour method for segmenting the clue cells using dual-resolution, dual-channel microscopy. The method is formulated in the level set and parametric frameworks. A fast search locates potential clue cells in the low-resolution scan. Each cell is then imaged at high-resolution. The clue cells are segmented and quantified. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated using clinical data. Our method effectively delineates the boundaries of the cell and its nucleus simultaneously. It is efficient and practical. The clue cell detection results indicate a high accuracy for BV diagnosis.