DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL 2D COLOR MAP FOR INTERACTIVE SEGMENTATION OF HISTOLOGICAL IMAGES

• Authors: Qaiser Chaudry, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yachna Sharma, Georgia Institute of Technology; Syed H. Raza, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dongmei Wang, Emory University
• Proceedings Title: 2012 9TH IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) - From Nano to Macro
• Conference Name: 9th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI)
• Publisher: IEEE
• Conference Place: Barcelona, SPAIN
• Publication Date: 2012-07-12
• Type of Work: Conference | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1109/ISBI.2012.6235513
• Subjects: Engineering, Biomedical
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Engineering; Color segmentation; Cellular; Nuclear; Histology; Staining; CAD

Abstract

We present a color segmentation approach based on a two-dimensional color map derived from the input image. Pathologists stain tissue biopsies with various colored dyes to see the expression of biomarkers. In these images, because of color variation due to inconsistencies in experimental procedures and lighting conditions, the segmentation used to analyze biological features is usually ad-hoc. Many algorithms like K-means use a single metric to segment the image into different color classes and rarely provide users with powerful color control. Our 2D color map interactive segmentation technique based on human color perception information and the color distribution of the input image, enables user control without noticeable delay. Our methodology works for different staining types and different types of cancer tissue images. Our proposed method's results show good accuracy with low response and computational time making it a feasible method for user interactive applications involving segmentation of histological images.