title: An automated cell viability quantification method for low-resolution confocal images of closely packed cells based on a modified gradient flow tracking algorithm.
abstract: Fluorescent-based live/dead labelling combined with fluorescent microscopy is one of the widely used and reliable methods for assessment of cell viability. This method is, however, not quantitative. Many image-processing methods have been proposed for cell quantification in an image. Among all these methods, several of them are capable of quantifying the number of cells in high-resolution images with closely packed cells. However, no method has addressed the quantification of the number of cells in low-resolution images containing closely packed cells with variable sizes. This paper presents a novel method for automatic quantification of live/dead cells in 2D fluorescent low-resolution images containing closely packed cells with variable sizes using a mean shift-based gradient flow tracking. Accuracy and performance of the method was tested on growth plate confocal images. Experimental results show that our algorithm has a better performance in comparison to other methods used in similar detection conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.|Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaviani
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merat
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada.|Department of Dental Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moldovan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.|Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Villemure
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes
keywords: Convergence centers; gradient flow tracking; live/dead labelling; viability quantification