title: Continuous maximum flow segmentation method for nanoparticle interaction analysis.
abstract: In recent years, tomographic three-dimensional reconstruction approaches using electrons rather than X-rays have become popular. Such images produced with a transmission electron microscope make it possible to image nanometre-scale materials in three-dimensional. However, they are also noisy, limited in contrast and most often have a very poor resolution along the axis of the electron beam. The analysis of images stemming from such modalities, whether fully or semiautomated, is therefore more complicated. In particular, segmentation of objects is difficult. In this paper, we propose to use the continuous maximum flow segmentation method based on a globally optimal minimal surface model. The use of this fully automated segmentation and filtering procedure is illustrated on two different nanoparticle samples and provide comparisons with other classical segmentation methods. The main objectives are the measurement of the attraction rate of polystyrene beads to silica nanoparticle (for the first sample) and interaction of silica nanoparticles with large unilamellar liposomes (for the second sample). We also illustrate how precise measurements such as contact angles can be performed.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Informatique Gaspard-Monge, Université Paris-Est, Noisy-le-Grand Cedex, France. ujoimro@gmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marak
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tankyevych
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Talbot
mesh_terms: D055032:Electron Microscope Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008081:Liposomes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide