Segmentation method for three-dimensional visualization of microscopic objects imaged with a confocal laser scanning microscope

Jeffrey R. Anderson; Steven F. Barrett; Michael J. Wilcox

doi:10.1117/1.2372515

1 October 2006 Segmentation method for three-dimensional visualization of microscopic objects imaged with a confocal laser scanning microscope

Jeffrey R. Anderson, Steven F. Barrett, Michael J. Wilcox

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Electronic Imaging, Vol. 15, Issue 4, 043005 (October 2006). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2372515

Abstract

This paper is a revision of a paper presented at the SPIE conference on Medical Imaging 2005: Physiology, Function, and Structure from Medical Images, Feb. 2005, San Diego, California. The paper presented there appears (unrefereed) in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5746. Segmentation, or separating an image into distinct objects, is the key to creating 3-D renderings from serial slice images. This is typically a manual process requiring trained persons to tediously outline and isolate the objects in each image. We describe a template-based semiautomatic segmentation method to aid in the segmentation process and 3-D reconstruction of microscopic objects recorded with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The simple and robust algorithm is based on the creation of a user-defined object template, followed by automatic segmentation of the object in each of the remaining image slices. The user guides the process by selecting the initial image slice for the object template, and labeling the object of interest. The algorithm is applied to mathematically defined shapes to verify the performance of the software. The algorithm is then applied to biological samples, including neurons in the common housefly. It is the quest to further understand the visual system of the housefly that provides the opportunity to develop this segmentation algorithm. Further application of this algorithm may extend to other registered and aligned serial section datasets with high contrast objects.

©(2006) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Citation Download Citation

Jeffrey R. Anderson, Steven F. Barrett, and Michael J. Wilcox "Segmentation method for three-dimensional visualization of microscopic objects imaged with a confocal laser scanning microscope," Journal of Electronic Imaging 15(4), 043005 (1 October 2006). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2372515

Published: 1 October 2006

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available