Retinal vessel width measurement at branchings using an improved electric field theory-based graph approach

Xiayu Xu; Joseph M Reinhardt; Qiao Hu; Benjamin Bakall; Paul S Tlucek; Geir Bertelsen; Michael D Abràmoff

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049668

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Retinal vessel width measurement at branchings using an improved electric field theory-based graph approach

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Retinal vessel width measurement at branchings using an improved electric field theory-based graph approach

Xiayu Xu, Joseph M Reinhardt, Qiao Hu, Benjamin Bakall, Paul S Tlucek, Geir Bertelsen and Michael D Abràmoff

PloS one, Vol.7(11), e49668

2012

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049668

PMCID: PMC3507841

PMID: 23209588

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049668View

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Abstract

The retinal vessel width relationship at vessel branch points in fundus images is an important biomarker of retinal and systemic disease. We propose a fully automatic method to measure the vessel widths at branch points in fundus images. The method is a graph-based method, in which a graph construction method based on electric field theory is applied which specifically deals with complex branching patterns. The vessel centerline image is used as the initial segmentation of the graph. Branching points are detected on the vessel centerline image using a set of detection kernels. Crossing points are distinguished from branch points and excluded. The electric field based graph method is applied to construct the graph. This method is inspired by the non-intersecting force lines in an electric field. At last, the method is further improved to give a consistent vessel width measurement for the whole vessel tree. The algorithm was validated on 100 artery branchings and 100 vein branchings selected from 50 fundus images by comparing with vessel width measurements from two human experts.

Algorithms

Diagnostic Imaging

Reproducibility of Results

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

Computer Simulation

Humans

Retinal Vessels - anatomy & histology

Principal Component Analysis - methods

Details

Title: Subtitle: Retinal vessel width measurement at branchings using an improved electric field theory-based graph approach
Creators: Xiayu Xu - Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Joseph M Reinhardt
Qiao Hu
Benjamin Bakall
Paul S Tlucek
Geir Bertelsen
Michael D Abràmoff
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.7(11), e49668
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049668
PMID: 23209588
PMCID: PMC3507841
NLM abbreviation: PLoS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
eISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: United States
Grant note: R01 EY017066 / NEI NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 2012
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Radiology; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Record Identifier: 9983805903202771

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