Chapter 2

Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for

Medical Image Analysis

R.J. Hemalatha, T.R. Thamizhvani,

A. Josephin Arockia Dhivya, Josline Elsa Joseph,
Bincy Babu and R. Chandrasekaran

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74576

Abstract
Image processing is a technique which is used to derive information from the images.
Segmentation is a section of image processing for the separation or segregation of infor-
mation from the required target region of the image. There are different techniques used
for segmentation of pixels of interest from the image. Active contour is one of the active
models in segmentation techniques, which makes use of the energy constraints and forces
in the image for separation of region of interest. Active contour defines a separate bound-
ary or curvature for the regions of target object for segmentation. The contour depends on
various constraints based on which they are classified into different types such as gradient
vector flow, balloon and geometric models. Active contour models are used in various
image processing applications specifically in medical image processing. In medical imag-
ing, active contours are used in segmentation of regions from different medical images
such as brain CT images, MRI images of different organs, cardiac images and different
images of regions in the human body. Active contours can also be used in motion tracking
and stereo tracking. Thus, the active contour segmentation is used for the separation of
pixels of interest for different image processing.

Keywords: energy constraints, gradient vector flow field, inflation force, geometric
measures, icosahedron triangles

1. Introduction

Image processing can be defined as computerised processing of images of different types to

obtain the desired output. Image processing makes use of a wide range of techniques to process

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative
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18 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

the input information which is available in the form of an image. Processing of images is carried
out by avoiding certain features like noise and signal distortion that affects the information
present in the images. The images can be defined in different dimensions which can be used for
processing. Segmentation is a part of image processing used for segregation of regions.
Segmentation is the process of separation of required information from a data for further
processing. Image segmentation can be defined as the segregation of pixels of interest for
effective processing. The main aim of image segmentation is to segment the meaningful
regions of interest for processing. Region of interest possesses a group of pixels defined with
a boundary and these may contribute to different forms such as circle, ellipse, polygon or
irregular shapes. The process of segmentation does not provide information about the entire
image rather associates pixel data of only the region of interest. Segmentation is a crucial
process in Image analysis because it paves path for future processing of images.
In medical image analysis, segmentation is very much necessary where region of study or
research is defined to a particular section of the image. If image segmentation is performed
effective, the after stages of image analysis are made easier. Image segmentation provides
definite and useful information or data for the high standards of automatic image analysis.
Image analysis defines certain objectives for segmentation process:
• Decompose the image into parts for future analysis

• Change in representation
• Region of interest should be simple, uniform and homogenous with smooth boundary
Medical image analysis requires segmentation of images for processing of the region of inter-
est. Different modality of images can be processed and segmented for separating the necessary
pixel information. Image segmentation is described as the fundamental process in many
computer vision and medical image analysis applications. With the process of segmentation,
desired output from the pixels of interest is obtained.
Image segmentation can be classified into different types of algorithm based on the disconti-
nuity and similarity of intensity values. Thresholding, region growing, region splitting, region
merging, detection of boundary discontinuities (point, line and edge detection), watershed
segmentation and active contours are few examples of image segmentation process. Segmen-
tation can also be performed with the help of feature extraction process from the pixels of the
image.

In this chapter, we discuss about an image segmentation technique called active contour
models. These models are considered because they help in segmentation of the target object
of particular data or information values from an image. Active contour technique is applied for
separation of foreground from the background and the segmented region of interest
undergoes further image analysis. Active contours are defined models for segmentation of
pixels from the required region of interest for which processing is performed to obtain the
outcome for research. Active contour models defined below are used in various different fields
for image processing. Application of active contour models in medical image processing is
very effective, since it separates the necessary pixels from the foreground [1].
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2. Active contour models

Active contour is a type of segmentation technique which can be defined as use of energy
forces and constraints for segregation of the pixels of interest from the image for further
processing and analysis. Active contour described as active model for the process of segmen-
tation. Contours are boundaries designed for the area of interest required in an image. Contour
is a collection of points that undergoes interpolation process. The interpolation process can be
linear, splines and polynomial which describes the curve in the image [2]. Different models of
active contours are applied for the segmentation technique in image processing. The main
application of active contours in image processing is to define smooth shape in the image and
forms closed contour for the region. Active contour models involve snake model, gradient
vector flow snake model, balloon model and geometric or geodesic contours.
Active contours can be defined as the process to obtain deformable models or structures with
constraints and forces in an image for segmentation. Contour models describe the object bound-
aries or any other features of the image to form a parametric curve or contour. Curvature of the
models is determined with various contour algorithms using external and internal forces
applied. Energy functional is always associated with the curve defined in the image. External
energy is defined as the combination of forces due to the image which is specifically used to
control the positioning of the contour onto the image and internal energy, to control the deform-
able changes [3]. Constraints for a particular image in the contour segmentation depend on the
requirements. The desired contour is obtained by defining the minimum of the energy func-
tional. Deforming of the contour is described by a collection of points that finds a contour. This
contour fits the required image contour defined by minimising the energy functional.
For the set of points in an image, the contour can be defined based on forces and constraints in the
regions of the image. Active contours are used in various applications in the segmentation of the
medical images [11, 17]. Different types of active contour models are used in various medical
applications especially for the separation of required regions from the various medical images.
For example, a slice of brain CT image is considered for segmentation using active contour models.
The contour of the image defines the layers of the region in the brain which is shown in the Figure 1.

Figure 1. Segmentation of brain CT image using active contours.

20 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

Active contours can also be used for segmentation of 3-D images derived from different medical
imaging modalities. 2-D slices of image data are used for the separation of target object from the
3-D images. These 2-D slices of images in all directions along with the segmented target region
are subjected to 3-D reconstruction to segregate the regions. Mesh model of the 3-D image is
designed before applying active contour model. The mesh helps in the formation of deformable
contours of the target object in the directional 2-D slices of the 3-D images [14].

Different types of images from various 3-D imaging modalities like MRI, CT, PET, SPECT can
be segmented and processed with these active contour models. The early diagnosis and
detection of abnormalities in the target regions can be performed with the help of active
contour models in 3-D imaging. Detection of target regions in the 3-D images enables in
accurate description and sectional study of the regions [8]. Here for example, consider the
head CT image of eight 2-D slices is subjected to 3-D segmentation using active contour
models. In this process, mesh is designed for the head CT image based on which segmentation
of the target region is performed. The mesh is formed with the help of the volumetric pixel
values in all the x, y and z directions. The 2-D slice of the head CT image and mesh model
designed for that 2-D slice of head CT image in all directions is defined in Figure 2(a) and (b)
respectively. In Figure 2(b), the axes of the mesh model describe the volumetric values (voxels)
in all three directions representing the head CT image.

3-D segmentation of the image for every slices of the 2-D image is carried out through iterative
applications of the active contour models. This segmentation process helps in segmenting the
target region in all the slices. In this example, all the slices of head CT image undergo iterative
contour segmentation for separation of the thoracic cavity [13]. In Figure 3, the iterative
segmentation of each and every region of the thoracic cavity from the head CT image is shown.
Segmentation of fine structures from the target object in an image is possible with these active
contour models. Pham et al. describe the methods for medical image segmentation.
The application of active contour models for segmentation is used in various medical image
processing techniques. 2-D and 3-D segmentation of the medical images is performed to obtain

Figure 2. (a) 2-D slice of head CT image and (b) mesh model for the 2-D slice of head CT image.
 Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for Medical Image Analysis 21
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Figure 3. Iterative 3-D segmentation of head CT image using active contours.

the exact target object for identification, detection and diagnosis of any abnormal or unwanted
changes in the human body. 2-D active contour models are used for segmentation of specific
target area which possesses pixel information and in 3-D process of forming contour, the
specific regions of voxel information are determined. Based on the information provided by
the segmented region, further processing of the images occurs [16]. Active contour models are
also used in 4-D segmentation such as motion tracking, stereo tracking of the movement of the
internal regions [19].
Thus active contour models are used in various medical applications. The medical images from
different modalities are considered for the description of active contour model and its types
[28]. Active contour models used for medical image segmentation and processing are defined
in this chapter. In the field of medicine, segmentation of target objects with accurate boundary
lines is very much necessary for diagnosis and detection of any abnormalities in the body. This
kind of segmentation is carried out with these models. In order to understand the application
of active contour models in the field of medicine, these images are obtained from different
authorised and standardised databases.Thus these medical images are considered to illustrate
use of medical image processing. Traditional model and all the extended versions of the active
contour models are described below in this chapter.

2.1. Snake model

Snake model is a technique that has the potential of solving wide class of segmentation cases.
The model mainly works to identify and outlines the target object considered for segmenta-
tion. It uses a certain amount of prior knowledge about the target object contour especially for
complex objects. Active snake model also called snakes generally configures by the application
of spline focussed to minimise energy followed by various forces governing the image. Spline
22 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

is a mathematical expression of a set of polynomials to derive geometric figures like curves.

Spline of minimising energy guides the constraint forces and pulled with the help of internal
and external image forces based on appropriate contour features. Snake model enacts deform-
able model to an image through energy minimisation. This model commonly uses cubic
polynomial though higher order polynomials can be incorporated but usually avoided due to
several undesirable local properties to confront with. Snake works efficiently with complex
target objects by breaking down the figure into various smaller targets [1, 9].

Snake model is designed to vary its shape and position while tending to search through the
minimal energy state. Snake propagates through the domain of the image to reduce the energy
function, and intends to dynamically move to the local minimum. Snake is expressed by
Eq. (1). The parametric form of the curve is exploited in the Snake model that has more
advantages than utilising implicit and explicit curve forms


vðs; tÞ ¼ x ðs; tÞ; yðs; tÞ (1)

where x and y are the coordinates of the two-dimensional curve, v is spline parameter in the
range 0–1, s is linear parameter ∈ [0,1] and t is time parameter ∈ [0, ∞].

The forces in snake include external forces as well as image forces that helps in feature
identification. When the snake model moves around a closed curve, it moves with the influ-
ence of both internal and external energy to keep the total energy minimum. The total energy
of active snake model is a summation of three types of energy namely (i) internal energy (Ei)
which depends on the degree of the spline relating to the shape of the target image; (ii) external
energy (Ee) which includes the external forces given by the user and also energy from various
other factors; (iii) energy of the image under consideration (EI) which conveys valuable data on
the illumination of the spline representing the target object. The total energy defined for the
contour formation in the snake model is given by Eq. (2).

ET ¼ Ei þ Ee þ EI (2)

Einternal describes the internal energy which defines piecewise smoothness constraints in the
contour, where α decides on how far the snake will be extended and the capacity of elasticity
possible for the snake. β decides on the rigidity level for the snake. The internal energy is given
by Eq. (3).

∂v 2 ∂2 v
Einternal ¼σ þβ 2 (3)
∂s ∂s

External energy constraints are mainly used to define the snake near the required local mini-
mum. It may be described using high level interpretation and interaction.


2
Eimage ¼ w1 I x; y þ w2 ∇I x; y þ …, (4)

The contour of the target object is shown in the above Eq. (4), where w1 is called the line
efficient and w2 is called the edge efficient. According to the higher values of w1 and w2, snake
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will align itself to darker pixel regions in the case of positive value and it progresses towards
the bright pixels when the value is negative. Snake model used for segmentation of various
types of images.
The applications of active snake model are increasing in a tremendous manner especially in the
various imaging fields. In medical imaging field, snake model is used segment one region of
image which has special features compared to other regions of the image. Different applica-
tions of traditional snake model in medical imaging are optic disc and cup segmentation to
detect glaucoma, cell image segmentation, vascular region and various other regions segmen-
tation for diagnosis and study of disorders or abnormalities. For example, a slice of chest CT
image is considered for segmentation using snake model. Chest CT image possesses the
sections of internal organs like lungs and heart. In this image, snake model is applied for the
segmentation of left lung from the chest image which is shown in Figure 4. Contour is
developed around the left lung which can be used for further processing.
Boscolo et al. define the use of chest CT image for segmentation using traditional snake active
contours. Specific region of segmentation is possible with these traditional active contour
methods [26]. In the above example, specific lung region is separated from the image for
extraction of features and diagnose the region whether it possesses any abnormalities or not
in a computerised manner. The traditional method of active snake model has several ineffi-
ciencies like insensitivity to noises, false contour detection in high complex objects which are
solved in advanced versions of contour methods.

2.2. Gradient vector flow model

Gradient vector flow model is an extended and well-defined technique of snake or active
contour models. The traditional snake model possesses two limitations that is poor conver-
gence performance of the contour for concave boundaries and when the snake curve flow is
initiated at long distance from the minimum. Gradient vector flow model as an extension
makes use of gradient vector flow field as energy constraint to define the contour flow.
Gradient vector flow (GVF) field is determined based on the following steps. The primary step
is to detect the edge mapping function f(x, y) from the image I(x, y). Edge mapping function for
binary images is described by Eq. (5), where Gσ ðx, yÞ is a 2D quassian function with the
statistical parameter, standard deviation σ.

Figure 4. Segmentation of chest image using snake model.

24 Medical and Biological Image Analysis




f x; y ¼ Gσ x; y ∗I x; y (5)

Edge map function for grey-scale images is given by Eq. (6) where the gradient operator is ∇

  

2
f x; y ¼ ∇ Gσ x; y ∗I x; y  (6)

Gradient vector flow field is the equilibrium solution that reduces the functional energy. The
functional energy possesses two different terms such as smoothing term and data term which
depends on the parameter μ. The parameter value is based on the noise level in the image that
is if the noise level is high then the parameter has to be increased. The main problem or
limitation with gradient vector flow is the smoothing term that forms rounding of the edges
of the contour. Therefore, increase in the value of μ reduces the rounding of edges but weakens
the smoothing condition of the contour to a certain extent. The gradient vector flow is defined
by the energy functional Eq. (7).
ðð
ε ¼ μ ux 2 þ vx 2 þ vy 2 þ j∇fj2 jg ∇fj2 dx dy


(7)

In this equation, g describes the gradient vector flow which can be derived based on the Euler
equations. This equation defines the Laplacian operator that is defined by two different Eqs. (8)
and (9).

μ∇2 u ðu fx Þ fx 2 þ fy 2 ¼ 0


(8)

μ∇2 v fx Þ fx 2 þ fy 2 ¼ 0


ðv (9)

Computational solutions to calculate fx and fy in the equation are obtained by using common
gradient operators such as sobel, prewitt, or isotropic operators. Based on these parameters the
gradient vector flow field is defined. After the determination of GVF field g(x,y) it is used to
replace the energy constraints in the traditional snake model. With these constraints, the contin-
uous computation of the curve flow occurs iteratively for structural defining of the contour [4].

Gradient vector flow model can be used in all higher dimensions based on the minimum of the
energy function. In two-dimensional image regions, a time variable t is introduced for solving
the Euler equations. The Euler equation can be used to define entire target object as a deform-
able contour through iteration towards a steady state value. Thus the equations obtained are
used instead of the external force in the traditional snake model. Contour of the target object
from the image is defined based on the edge mapping function and gradient vector flow field.
The gradient vector flow model is used for the segmentation of exact target region compared
to the snake model.
The gradient vector flow model is an extended version of snake model used in various image
processing applications especially in medical image processing. In medical imaging, the segmen-
tation of regions with specific parameters is carried out with the help of active contour models.
Because these models develop a contour around the target object and segregates it from the
image. The segmented image possesses only the required information of the target object [10].
 Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for Medical Image Analysis 25
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For example, the breast mammogram obtained from a standard database undergoes gradient
vector flow active contour model. This model defines the boundaries of the breast region and
regions of calcification in the mammogram image section. The segmentation of breast mammo-
gram with the highlighted calcification regions is shown in Figure 5. In the mammogram image
segmentation, the calcified regions are highlighted with the gradient vector flow contours which
help in computerised early diagnosis and detection of calcification in breast regions. Ferrari et al.
describes the segmentation of boundaries of the calcified region in breast mammogram [27].
Gradient vector flow field also uses the minimum energy function for segmentation of cardiac
and brain regions. This model helps in motion tracking of the various regions in the human body
especially pumping action of the heart and muscular activities of various regions.
Gradient vector flow model is used for all types of images obtained from different imaging
modalities. Thus extended version of snake in the form of gradient vector field is used in all
medical image processing applications.

2.3. Balloon model

A snake model is not attracted to distant edges. The snake model will shrink inner side, if no
substantial images forces are acting upon it. A snake larger than the minima contour will
eventually shrink into it, but a snake smaller than minima contour will not find the minima and
instead continue to shrink. In order to overcome the limitations of snake model, balloon model
was introduced in which inflation term is induced into the forces acting on the snake [3]. The
inflation force can overpower forces from weak edges, amplifying the issue with localisation of
!
initial guess. The additional inflation force is given by Eq. (10) with n ðsÞ as normal unity vector
of the curve and k1 as magnitude of the curve.
!
Finflation ¼ k1 n ðsÞ (10)

Here k1 should possess similar magnitude as that of the image normalisation vector k and
must have smaller value that allows the forces in the image edges to adjust with the inflation
force given additional to the internal and external energy.

Figure 5. Breast mammogram segmentation using gradient vector flow (GVF) model.
26 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

An overview of this algorithm, it will locate an area in the volume, then place a icosahedron in
that area such that it contains no points. Expand (or) subdivide the icosahedron so that it
approximates the volume. Thus the algorithm starts with a small icosahedron inside the object.
Each vertex is connected to its neighbours by springs that inflate each triangle or segment
along the normal based on inflation pressure inside the sphere. With respect to depth, start
with range images where the images are joined to a single point cloud. Manually insert the
starting point of icosahedron hence, if it is difficult to compute do it by hand. Then place the
icosahedron in a fixed location to develop a contour.

The major two forces act on each vertex. Inflation force is used to push the vertices out and
spring force is calculated based upon one ring neighbourhood of each vertex. Inflation force is
calculated based upon normality of value of points in the contour. Expansion algorithm is a set
of instructions used to create a front of the icosahedron which has all the faces. At first, insert
the front section into the instructions queue. For each vertex in the front, it is used to calculate
the spring force and inflation force. Now, compute the new location. Compute nearest point
from the dataset. Then, update the co-ordinator. Later, discard the anchored triangles in the
region of interest. The expanding triangles will reconstruct the surface less accurately due to
their large size. While expanding the spring forces between vertices become very large. Subdi-
vide triangles to reduce force. Triangles are subdivided so that no T shaped junctions exist in
forming the contour. Long and skinny triangles are reconnected to be wide and short. A
triangle becomes anchored once it reaches the surface of the point cloud. This is determined
by testing for intersection with the point set based on vertex normal. Once a triangle is
anchored it has no longer moves, all the vertices are stationary [13].
Three issues arise from using the balloon model. Instead of shrinking, the snake expands into
the minima and will not find minima contour smaller than it. The outward force causes the
contour to be slightly larger than the actual minima. This can be solved by decreasing the
balloon force after a solution has been found. Computation is done by performing the inter-
section of a ray with a range image. Iterative process requires refinement of approximation. All
range scans have to be looked to get a result. Holes are handled similarly to anchoring process.
Noise is broken into two categories namely misalignment of range scans, scan errors mostly
outliers. Both these areas are handled by intersection algorithm and filtering.

Balloon model is used in the segmentation of different medical images. The application is
mainly used for presenting a novel model for segmenting 2-D image and reconstructing 3-D
meshes which guarantees a waterlight mesh. In 2-D segmentation, the contour separates the
region of pixels with specific feature. Contour is formed for separation of lesions, tissue
regions, infected cells, and parasites from the images. 3-D mesh formation is mainly used in
the reconstruction of 3-D images from different imaging modalities [10]. 3-D models can also
be designed for artificial implants using mesh technique based on the inflation balloon force.
One of the examples for 2-D segmentation of images using balloon model is skin lesion
segmentation. The segmentation of lesion from the dermal image is shown in Figure 6. In
general, skin lesion segmentation from the dermal images is very much necessary for the early
detection of skin cancer which is becoming predominant in all tropical countries. Thus balloon
model is commonly used for segmentation of lesions because the inflation force defines an
 Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for Medical Image Analysis 27
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Figure 6. Skin lesion segregation from the dermal images using balloon models.

accurate contour [31, 32]. These contours are used for further processing and prediction of skin
cancer. The main disadvantage of the balloon model is slow processing that it is difficult to
handle sharp edges and it has a manual object placement. Balloon model is widely used in
analysing the extraction of specific image contour.

2.4. Geometric or geodesic active contour models

Geometric active contour or geodesic active contour (GAC) is a type of contour models that
modifies the smooth curve defined in the Euclidean plan by moving the points of the curve
perpendicular. The motion of the points is at a speed proportional to the curvature of the
region in the image. Contours are described based on the geometric flow of curve and detec-
tion of objects in the image. Geometric flow includes both internal and external measures of
geometry in the region of interest. Geometric alternative for snakes is used in the process of
detection of objects in an image. These contour models largely depend on the level set func-
tions that describe the specific regions in the image for segmentation [5, 6].
Geometric contours define a initial curve C0 with the flow of geometry given by the planar
!
contour evolution Eq. (11) with g as the edge indicator scalar function, kN as curvature vector,
!
N as normal vector to the curve and v as arbitrary constant.
!
Ct ¼ g ð C Þ ð k vÞ N (11)

The curve evolution continues to propagate until the g value becomes zero that indicates the
curve reaches edge of the region or object required from the image. In this method of contour
model, snake parameter is replaced by Euclidean arc length which is defined as given in Eq. (12)

ds ¼ Cp dp (12)

Euclidean arc length describes the irregular length of the curve based on the curvature and the
energy forces. Internal and external energy forces are coupled together which leads to minimum
28 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

of the functional derivative of geometric curve flow. Differential evolution of curvature of the
region in an image is given by the Euler Lagrange Eq. (13) in which C is defined as signed
distance function [20].

dC  D ! E !
¼ gðCÞk ∇g; N N (13)
dt

Geometric active contour depends on the level set function and geometric planar curve evolution
which describes the region for segmentation. By adding an area of minimising region (balloon
force), propagation of contour occurs internal by minimisation of the interior energy. Therefore,
Euler Lagrange equation is determined as the deepest descent and is given by Eq. (14).

dC  D !E !
¼ gðCÞk ∇g; N σgðCÞ N (14)
dt

Contour models use the energy forces for geometric flow curve description. Geometric con-
tours can be obtained based on regions and edges in the curvature of the image [12].

Edge-based geometric active contours define a geometric flow curve evolution depending on
the gradients of edges or boundaries in the image that undergoes contour segmentation. Edge-
based geometric models possess fast computation speed and can simultaneously segment
different regions of different intensities. In some regions, penetration of gap in-between the
curvature occurs due to large gradient magnitudes. These geometric models are sensitive to
local maximum gradient computation which is used in defining the contours. These limitations
can be fixed by increasing the curvature weight and advection weight respectively.
Region-based geometric contour models are based on either the variance inside and outside
contour or the squared difference between average intensities inside and outside the contours
along with the total contour length. This type of contour model supports different image properties
not only edges which may include texture and other geometrical features. In these contours,
computation of multiple groups or segments is not possible but less sensitive to noise [15].
Geometric active contours are mainly employed in medical image computing especially in
image-based segmentation. In this, image from any imaging modality is considered for seg-
mentation, to study, process and analyse the regions of interest. These regions may be
described as any abnormality formed in the internal regions or organs of the human body like
blood clots, injuries, lesions, cell abnormality, metabolic interruptions, biomolecule disruptions
and so on. Metabolic changes in the regions or organs can be studied with the help of geodesic
contours. Geodesic or geometric contours are mainly based on the geometric measures, and
curvature flow based on segmentation process occurs. In this example, fundus image of the
eye is segmented with the geometric measures that describes the curvature of the eye ball,
optic disc localisation and path of the fine nerve endings. Fundus image mainly contributes to
the curvature and position of the optic disc.
In this, geometric flow defines the curvature of eye ball, so abnormalities based on curvature
can be obtained. Stąpor et al. define the fundus eye image segmentation with different tech-
niques. One among them is geodesic active contour model [30]. Optic disc localisation is
 Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for Medical Image Analysis 29
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performed with the mapping level set functions. The optic disc is segmented as an elevated
structure possessing the fine retinal vessels and nerve endings [34]. Contour of each and every
fine structure in the image is described through geometric or geodesic active contours [7, 29].
This property of the active contour model can be used more effectively in 3-D image construc-
tion and mapping. In Figure 7, segmentation of fundus image for optic disc localisation is
shown.

Recent applications of geometric or geodesic active contours include 3-D medical image seg-
mentation and 3-D motion tracking and segmentation of moving objects in medical imaging.
Segmentation of medical images using geometric or geodesic active contour models has
increased largely for accurate separation or segregation of required regions. Thus fine and
absolute details of the medical images can be obtained and even three-dimensional data can be
derived using this geodesic contour model.
In general, active contour models possess different extended versions with change either in the
form of energy constraints or forces. New contour models are designed for the segmentation of
absolute details of the image. One of the active contour models in which the constraints and
energy forces are used to develop a contour around the edges of the target object. In order to
study the membrane structures, edge-based contour models are used. Region-based active
contour models are developed for 3-D segmentation of images. These contour models develop
contour boundaries with energy forces required for the particular region of interest [23].
Fuzzy energy-based active contour models are designed for segmentation process in which fuzzy
logic is applied by changing the localised membership values for each iteration. These contour
models are used for multiple object segmentation [21]. 3-D adaptive crisp active contour model is
a newly developed technique for 3-D segmentation of medical images especially used for CT lung
image segmentation. Adaptive energy constraints are used for automatic initialisation of deform-
able contours [24]. Other extended version of active contour model is designed based on the local
and global details of intensity in an image. The statistical numerical and level set function
determines the intensity inside and outside the contour of the image. With less iteration, these
contour models can be used for medical image segmentation [25, 34].

Figure 7. Fundus image segmentation using geodesic active contours.

30 Medical and Biological Image Analysis

Frequency-tuned active contour model uses predefined frequency filters to describe the pro-
cess of segmentation. Gaussian difference is used to remove high range of noise and intensity
variations which are obtained using region-based active contour models. This contour model
allows selective segmentation and can effectively segment the near texture regions in an image.
The contour models are very useful in processing various image datasets and especially for
segmentation of real-time optical coherence tomography images [22]. Thus there are different
types of extended active contour models used in various image processing applications.

Active contour models of various different forms are defined in this chapter to illustrate the
process of target image segmentation. These models are mainly used to form a deformable
contour around the target objects more effectively. Energy forces describe a specific contour for
the required region based on various features. This type of image segmentation technique is
used in different applications. Especially in the field of medical imaging, segmentation of
particular regions is very necessary for diagnosis and detection of abnormalities. Active con-
tour models are best suitable for target object segmentation.

3. Conclusions

Segmentation is a technique to describe, define and segregate regions of interest. Image segmen-
tation is a process mainly to derive the region, curvature or contour of the required targeted
region from the image. Segmentation in an image depends on various features and parameters.
Active contour models are defined for image segmentation based on the curve flow, curvature
and contour to obtain the exact target region or segment in the image for future analysis and
processing. Contour models are used in processing various images from different modalities.
Active contours segregate the regions of required pixel intensities based on the energy forces and
conditions. Different types of active contour models are used in the process of segmentation.
In this chapter, active contour models used for the image segmentation process is described in
detail. The different types of active contour models defined are traditional snake, balloon,
gradient vector flow and geodesic active contour model. In which snake model depends on
the internal and external forces exerted by the contour curve. Balloon model similar to snakes
uses an additional inflation force to define the curvature. In gradient vector flow model, the
contour is described based on the gradient vectors of the curve flow. Geometric model defines
the contour using the geometric flow curve and energy forces.
Active contour models are applied in different fields for image segmentation process. In
medical imaging field, segmentation of images from different regions of the human body is
carried out to study, analyse, diagnose and detect abnormalities. Lesions, blood clotting,
abnormal outgrowths, cysts, tumours, cancer cells, small aneurysms, inflations and various
other diverse abnormalities can be segmented from the medical images for easily analysis and
diagnosis [18]. The application of each and every active contour model described in this
chapter is related to medical image processing. Medical images from different modalities are
considered for the description of the contour models.
 Active Contour Based Segmentation Techniques for Medical Image Analysis 31
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74576

3-D segmentation of the contours defined in the target region can be used for further construc-
tion and analysis of 3-D images [33]. Active contour models are also useful for mesh formations.
These formations help in designing 3-D structures and models. 2-D segmentation of active
contour models is more elaborately described in this chapter of image segmentation process.
Each active contour model is illustrated with an example describing the segmentation process
and algorithms in the field of medical imaging. Different medical images are defined in the
examples to provide a clear understanding about the active contour models. Active contour
models of different types are used for image segmentation in the various field but widely used
in medicine for the early diagnosis and detection of abnormalities in a computerised manner.
Thus automatic segmentation of the medical images for diagnosis and study is performed with
the active contour models.

Author details

R.J. Hemalatha*, T.R. Thamizhvani, A. Josephin Arockia Dhivya, Josline Elsa Joseph,
Bincy Babu and R. Chandrasekaran

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced
Studies (Deemed to be University), Chennai, India

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