title: Automated discrimination of tissue boundaries using ultrasound images of "ubiquitous echo".
abstract: Balance between human body compositions, e.g. bones, muscles, and fat, is one of the major and basic indicators related to personal health. Body composition analysis using ultrasound imaging has developed rapidly. However, interpretation of ultrasound images is conducted manually, and accuracy and confidence in interpretation requires experience. This paper proposes an automated approach to determine boundaries between tissues, with which thickness of subcutaneous fat and muscles can be obtained. A portable B-mode ultrasound echographic device, which is called Ubiquitous Echo, was used in this study. The validity of the proposed method was evaluated in eleven subjects (three women, eight men; ages 22-77 yr) at three anatomical sites. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve considerably high discrimination performance.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Schools Science and Engineering Information Science, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga, Saga, 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okumura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D001823:Body Composition; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*