Measurement accuracy and understanding of geometry of Common Carotid Artery (CCA) play an important role in carotid atherosclerosis assessment and management. In order to device techniques that can accurately analyze the effects of plaques on the carotid artery, a model that can sufficiently segment the Region of Interest (ROI) in the B-mode ultrasound image of carotid artery is needed. In this paper, a new Cardinal Points Symmetry Landmarks Distribution Model (CPS-LDM) to sufficiently segment the ROI in the carotid artery B-mode ultrasound imaged in the transverse plane is developed. The developed model employs a combination of fixed landmarks (FLs) and movable landmarks (MLs) to obtain the total landmarks (TLs) that can sufficiently segment the shape of the ROI of the carotid artery. Simulated ultrasound images are used. Four FLs are fixed on each of the four ROIs of the simulated carotid artery determined by the cardinal points North (N), South (S), East (E) and West (W) drawn on the ROIs of the carotid artery. The MLs are determined by the inter-cardinal directions such as North-East (NE), North-West (NW) and so on. The CPS-LDM equation developed allows us to visualize graphically the optimum number of points that can sufficiently segment the ROIs. ImageJ2 software was used to generate the Cartesian coordinates for each landmark which were then used to generate the Shape Space Pattern (SSP) of the carotid artery ready for further statistical analysis. The results showed that the CPS-LD model is sufficiently generic and adaptable to a variety of carotid artery B-mode ultrasound image simulated under different scenarios

We had earlier developed a technique based on cardinal point symmetry landmark distribution model (CPS-LDM) to completely characterize the Region of Interest (ROI) of the geometric shape of thick-walled simulated B-mode ultrasound images of carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane. In this paper, this developed technique was applied to completely characterize the region of interest of the geometric shape of B-mode ultrasound images of thin-walled phantom carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane. The developed model employs a combination of fixed landmarks (FLs) and movable landmarks (MLs) to obtain the total landmarks (TLs) that can sufficiently segment the shape of the ROI of the carotid artery. For the phantom carotid arteries, three FLs are fixed on each of the four ROIs determined by the cardinal points North (N), South (S), East (E) and West (W) drawn on the ROIs of the phantom carotid artery. The MLs are determined by the inter-cardinal directions such as North-East (NE), North-West (NW) and so on. The obtained CPS-LDM equation developed allows graphical visualization the optimum number of points that can sufficiently segment the ROIs. ImageJ2 software was used to generate the Cartesian coordinates for each landmark which were then used to generate the Shape Space Pattern (SSP) of the phantom carotid artery ready for further statistical analysis. The results showed that the CPS-LD model is generic and adaptable to a variety of transverse cross-sectional B-mode ultrasound images of thin-walled phantom carotid artery

The geometry of the imaged transverse cross-section of carotid arteries in in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images are most times irregular, unsymmetrical, full of speckles and usually non-uniform. We had earlier developed a technique of cardinal point symmetry landmark distribution model (CPS-LDM) to completely characterize the Region of Interest (ROI) of the geometric shape of thick-walled simulated B-mode ultrasound images of carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane, but this was based on the symmetric property of the image. In this paper, this developed technique was applied to completely characterize the region of interest of the geometric shape of in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images of non-uniform carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane. In order to adapt the CPS-LD Model to the in-vivo carotid artery images, the single VS-VS vertical symmetry line common to the four ROIs of the symmetric image is replaced with each ROI having its own VS-VS vertical symmetry line. This adjustment enables the in-vivo carotid artery images possess symmetric properties, hence, ensuring that all mathematical operations of the CPS-LD Model are conveniently applied to them. This adaptability was observed to work well in segmenting the in-vivo carotid artery images. This paper shows the adaptive ability of the developed CPS-LD Model to successfully annotate and segment in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images of carotid arteries in the transverse cross-sectional plane either they are symmetrical or unsymmetrical.

The geometry of the imaged transverse cross-section of carotid arteries in in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images are most times irregular, unsymmetrical, full of speckles and usually non-uniform. We had earlier developed a technique of cardinal point symmetry landmark distribution model (CPS-LDM) to completely characterize the Region of Interest (ROI) of the geometric shape of thick-walled simulated B-mode ultrasound images of carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane, but this was based on the symmetric property of the image. In this paper, this developed technique was applied to completely characterize the region of interest of the geometric shape of in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images of non-uniform carotid artery imaged in the transverse plane. In order to adapt the CPS-LD Model to the in-vivo carotid artery images, the single VS-VS vertical symmetry line common to the four ROIs of the symmetric image is replaced with each ROI having its own VS-VS vertical symmetry line. This adjustment enables the in-vivo carotid artery images possess symmetric properties, hence, ensuring that all mathematical operations of the CPS-LD Model are conveniently applied to them. This adaptability was observed to work well in segmenting the in-vivo carotid artery images. This paper shows the adaptive ability of the developed CPS-LD Model to successfully annotate and segment in-vivo B-mode ultrasound images of carotid arteries in the transverse cross-sectional plane either they are symmetrical or unsymmetrical.

Measurement accuracy and understanding of geometry of Common Carotid Artery (CCA) play an important role in carotid atherosclerosis assessment and management. In order to device techniques that can accurately analyze the effects of plaques on the carotid artery, a model that can sufficiently segment the Region of Interest (ROI) in the B-mode ultrasound image of carotid artery is needed. In this paper, a new Cardinal Points Symmetry Landmarks Distribution Model (CPS-LDM) to sufficiently segment the ROI in the carotid artery B-mode ultrasound imaged in the transverse plane is developed. The developed model employs a combination of fixed landmarks (FLs) and movable landmarks (MLs) to obtain the total landmarks (TLs) that can sufficiently segment the shape of the ROI of the carotid artery. Simulated ultrasound images are used. Four FLs are fixed on each of the four ROIs of the simulated carotid artery determined by the cardinal points North (N), South (S), East (E) and West (W) drawn on the ROIs of the carotid artery. The MLs are determined by the inter-cardinal directions such as North-East (NE), North-West (NW) and so on. The CPS-LDM equation developed allows us to visualize graphically the optimum number of points that can sufficiently segment the ROIs. ImageJ2 software was used to generate the Cartesian coordinates for each landmark which were then used to generate the Shape Space Pattern (SSP) of the carotid artery ready for further statistical analysis. The results showed that the CPS-LD model is sufficiently generic and adaptable to a variety of carotid artery B-mode ultrasound image simulated under different scenarios