A Segmentation Method for Overlapping Cells in Cervical Smear Images

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for segmenting overlapping cells in cervical smear images, which is realized through the following steps: (1) removing the background of the image and extracting foreground objects, that is, cell clumps composed of overlapping cells; (2) segmenting out cell nuclei ; (3) Use the mean shift method to color partition the cell clusters, and use the watershed algorithm to divide them into sub-blocks; (4) Search for all combinations of sub-blocks, filter with screening conditions, and the combinations that meet the conditions are called possible solutions; (5) ) Calculate the energy functional of the possible solutions obtained in (4), and choose the one with the smallest function value as the optimal solution. The present invention selects the optimal possible solution in units of sub-blocks, narrows the understanding space; proposes an illumination model for the overlapping parts of light-transmitting objects, and provides a theoretical basis for the identification of overlapping sub-blocks; the designed energy functional synthesizes various characteristics of cells, according to The optimal solution of this choice is reasonable and effective; the proposed processing framework can be used as a general framework for segmentation of overlapping regions of light-transmitting objects.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the research field of image processing, in particular to a segmentation method for overlapping cells in cervical smear images. Background technique [0002] The incidence of cervical cancer has been on the rise in recent years, and the age of the patients tends to be younger. Early detection of cervical cancer is of great significance in reducing mortality. Currently the most widely used cervical smear preparation techniques are liquid-based thin layer cytology (Thinprep liquid-based cytologic test, TCT) and liquid-based cytologic test (liquid-based cytologic test, LCT) technology. At present, most hospitals use manual reading methods, which are inefficient and easily affected by the subjective factors of the readers, thereby reducing the accuracy of cervical smear screening. Using computer-aided diagnosis technology to process smears and replacing manual readings with machine readings not only improves efficiency, but also i...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This segmentation method is not affected by color, even if cells of the same color overlap, effective segmentation results can be obtained, but the disadvantage is that the initial contour is difficult to determine, and the time efficiency is not high

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