Tractography Techniques for Tubular Structures with Automated Bifurcation Detection

• Abstract

  Tree and graph structures consisting of tubular segments are omnipresent in biological systems; consider the axons and dendritic trees of neurons, vascular networks in various organs, bronchial tree in the lungs, river and road networks in geospatial imagery (a 2-dimensional instantiation of the same concept).

• Description

  Tree and graph structures consisting of tubular segments are omnipresent in biological systems; consider the axons and dendritic trees of neurons, vascular networks in various organs, bronchial tree in the lungs, river and road networks in geospatial imagery (a 2-dimensional instantiation of the same concept). Biomedical 3-dimensional (3D) imagery obtained using various imaging modalities including confocal microscopy, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be utilized to analyze and extract the 3D structure of tubular object networks which could be used to model and simulate such networks structurally and functionally, as well as design virtual endoscopy type diagnostic applications. We are currently focusing on confocal microscopy imagery of neural networks and their dendritic tree structures. Especially, we have been working with Brainbow imagery. Automatic extraction of dendritic tree structures is an important first step in processing massive image data to be used in improving our understanding of how the brain and the nervous system works.

• Team Members