title: Computer Vision Based Automatic Extraction and Thickness Measurement of Deep Cervical Flexor from Ultrasonic Images.
abstract: Deep Cervical Flexor (DCF) muscles are important in monitoring and controlling neck pain. While ultrasonographic analysis is useful in this area, it has intrinsic subjectivity problem. In this paper, we propose automatic DCF extractor/analyzer software based on computer vision. One of the major difficulties in developing such an automatic analyzer is to detect important organs and their boundaries under very low brightness contrast environment. Our fuzzy sigma binarization process is one of the answers for that problem. Another difficulty is to compensate information loss that happened during such image processing procedures. Many morphologically motivated image processing algorithms are applied for that purpose. The proposed method is verified as successful in extracting DCFs and measuring thicknesses in experiment using two hundred 800 × 600 DICOM ultrasonography images with 98.5% extraction rate. Also, the thickness of DCFs automatically measured by this software has small difference (less than 0.3 cm) for 89.8% of extracted DCFs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Engineering, Silla University, Busan 617-736, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Baek
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Games, Yong-in Songdam College, Yongin 449-040, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Doo Heon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001331:Automation; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003657:Decision Making; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D017143:Fuzzy Logic; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D011381:Programming Languages; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult