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Segmentation of lung lobes in clinical CT images

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Recent studies have shown that three-dimensional (3D) visualization of lung cavities has distinct advantages over multiplanar computed tomographic (CT) images for surgical planning. A crucial step for achieving this 3D visualization is the automatic segmentation of lung lobes. This paper presents a watershed algorithm for segmenting lung lobes in clinical CT images so that the 3D visualization of lung lobes would be practical in clinical settings.

Materials and methods

The watershed algorithm uses a two-stage approach to automatically identify the lobar fissures (boundaries of the lung lobes): (a) adaptive fissure sweep to coarsely define fissure regions of the lobar fissures; and (b) watershed transform to refine the location and curvature of the fissures within the fissure regions.

Results

The algorithm’s feasibility was tested using six CT datasets. Compared to visual inspection, the watershed algorithm achieved an accuracy of 85.5–95.0, 88.2–92.3 and 100% for segmenting the left oblique, the right oblique, and the right horizontal fissures, respectively. The total computational time for both lungs was under 3 min.

Conclusion

We developed an autonomous algorithm for segmenting lung lobes. This algorithm provided promising potential for developing an automatic algorithm for segmenting lung lobes in clinical settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 1N4

    Qiao Wei & Yaoping Hu

  2. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Diagnostic Imaging, Foothills Medical Center, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 4N1

    John H. MacGregor

  3. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgical Services, Foothills Medical Center, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 4N1

    Gary Gelfand

Authors
  1. Qiao Wei
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  2. Yaoping Hu
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  3. John H. MacGregor
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  4. Gary Gelfand
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yaoping Hu.

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Wei, Q., Hu, Y., MacGregor, J.H. et al. Segmentation of lung lobes in clinical CT images. Int J CARS 3, 151–163 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-008-0153-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-008-0153-5

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