Skin capillary network recognition and analysis by means of neural algorithms.
BACKGROUND
The intra-dermal capillary network can be easily assessed by a computerized videomicroscope system. Nevertheless, finding capillary loops automatically in an image is a difficult yet important first step in order to achieve microcirculation analysis.


METHODS
A detection system was tested by combining videocapillaroscopy and principal component analysis (PCA). Our goal was to build a generic detector of capillary associated with a retinally connected neural network filter. The filter examines small windows of an image, and decides with this detector whether each window contains a capillary or not.


RESULTS
Comparisons with manual detections showed that the system has a detection rate of 82% on test set A containing 100 good-quality images of the scalp. A detection rate of 65% was obtained on test set B containing 50 images with noisy background and large artifacts. The performance was increased by a color detector with a detection rate of 71% on the last test. These results correspond to a false detection rate lower than or equal to 10%.


CONCLUSIONS
This neural filter system is capable of real-time processing; it recognizes capillaries anywhere in an image, and operates successfully under wide range of lighting and noisy conditions.
Sainthillier
Jean-Marie
JM
Laboratoire d'Ingénierie et de Biologie Cutanées, Dermatology Department, University Hospital, Besançon Cedex, France.
Gharbi
Tijani
T
Muret
Patrice
P
Humbert
Philippe
P
D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D002196:Capillaries / Q000166:cytology*; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D014584:User-Computer Interface