title: Fast globally optimal segmentation of 3D prostate MRI with axial symmetry prior.
abstract: We propose a novel global optimization approach to segmenting a given 3D prostate T2w magnetic resonance (MR) image, which enforces the inherent axial symmetry of the prostate shape and simultaneously performs a sequence of 2D axial slice-wise segmentations with a global 3D coherence prior. We show that the proposed challenging combinatorial optimization problem can be solved globally and exactly by means of convex relaxation. With this regard, we introduce a novel coupled continuous max-flow model, which is dual to the studied convex relaxed optimization formulation and leads to an efficient multiplier augmented algorithm based on the modern convex optimization theory. Moreover, the new continuous max-flow based algorithm was implemented on GPUs to achieve a substantial improvement in computation. Experimental results using public and in-house datasets demonstrate great advantages of the proposed method in terms of both accuracy and efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eranga
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ukwatta
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajchl
authors.affiliation: Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fenster
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique