APPLICATION OF ACTIVE CONTOURS FOR PHOTOCHROMIC TRACER FLOW EXTRACTION

This paper addresses the implementation of image processing and comput er vision techniques to automate tracer flow extraction in images obta ined by the photochromic dye technique. This task is important in mode led arterial blood flow studies. Currently, it is performed via manual application of B-spline curve fitting. However, this is a tedious and error-prone procedure and its results are nonreproducible, In the pro posed approach, active contours, snakes, are employed in a new curve-f itting method for tracer flow extraction in photochromic images. An al gorithm implementing snakes is introduced to automate extraction, Util izing correlation matching, the algorithm quickly locates and localize s all flow traces in the images. The feasibility of the method for tra cer flow extraction is demonstrated. Moreover, results regarding the a utomation algorithm are presented showing its accuracy and effectivene ss. The proposed approach for tracer flow extraction has potential for real-system application.