Image Reconstruction of the Subbasal Nerve Plexus with In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Allgeier, Stephan; Zhivov, Andrey; Eberle, F.; Koehler, Bernd; Maier, Susanne; Bretthauer, Georg; Guthoff, Rudolf; Stachs, Oliver

doi:10.1167/iovs.10-6065

Cited by 66 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…23,24 Alternatively, a wide-field mapping of composite images of a larger area has recently been employed for the subbasal layer. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] The wide-field composite images are generated by mapping a number of the standard IVCM images manually or by using automated software. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] This is achieved by image stitching through identifying common landmarks or key points, such as nerves, across images that define the transformation between the overlapping images.…”

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] The wide-field composite images are generated by mapping a number of the standard IVCM images manually or by using automated software. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] This is achieved by image stitching through identifying common landmarks or key points, such as nerves, across images that define the transformation between the overlapping images. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Although these composite images cover a significantly larger area of the corneal subbasal layer as compared to standard images, the technology is currently not widely available.…”

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Although these composite images cover a significantly larger area of the corneal subbasal layer as compared to standard images, the technology is currently not widely available. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] In addition, it is not clear whether the densities of subbasal structures are similar between the composite images and the representative standard images.…”

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of Standard Versus Wide-Field Composite Images of the Corneal Subbasal Layer by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Kheirkhah

Müller

Mikolajczak

et al. 2015

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

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PURPOSE. To evaluate whether the densities of corneal subbasal nerves and epithelial immune dendritiform cells (DCs) are comparable between a set of three representative standard images of in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and the wide-field mapped composite IVCM images.METHODS. This prospective, cross-sectional, and masked study included 110 eyes of 58 patients seen in a neurology clinic who underwent laser-scanning IVCM (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3) of the central cornea. Densities of subbasal corneal nerves and DCs were compared between the average of three representative standard images and the wide-field mapped composite images, which were reconstructed by automated mapping.RESULTS. There were no statistically significant differences between the average of three representative standard images (0.16 mm 2 each) and the wide-field composite images (1.29 6 0.64 mm 2 ) in terms of mean subbasal nerve density (17.10 6 6.10 vs. 17.17 6 5.60 mm/mm 2 , respectively, P ¼ 0.87) and mean subbasal DC density (53.2 6 67.8 vs. 49.0 6 54.3 cells/mm 2 , respectively, P ¼ 0.43). However, there were notable differences in subbasal nerve and DC densities between these two methods in eyes with very low nerve density or very high DC density.CONCLUSIONS. There are no significant differences in the mean subbasal nerve and DC densities between the average values of three representative standard IVCM images and wide-field mapped composite images. Therefore, these standard images can be used in clinical studies to accurately measure cellular structures in the subbasal layer.

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Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of Standard Versus Wide-Field Composite Images of the Corneal Subbasal Layer by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Kheirkhah

Müller

Mikolajczak

et al. 2015

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

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“…21 For each image stack, an SBP image was composed as described in detail elsewhere. 22 For each subject, all reconstructed SBP images with common overlapping areas were then combined into a mosaic image with an expanded field of view using a three-step rigid registration approach. 21 …”

Section: Image Data Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative quantitative assessment of the human corneal sub-basal nerve plexus by in vivo confocal microscopy and histological staining

Kowtharapu

Winter

Marfurt

et al. 2016

Eye

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Purpose This study was designed to compare and contrast quantitative data of the human corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SBP) evaluated by two different methods: in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), and immunohistochemical staining of ex vivo donor corneas. Methods Seven parameters of the SBP in large-scale IVCM mosaicking images from healthy subjects were compared with the identical parameters in ex vivo donor corneas stained by β-III-tubulin immunohistochemistry. Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), average weighted corneal nerve fiber tortuosity (CNFTo), corneal nerve connection points (CNCP), average corneal nerve single-fiber length (CNSFL), and average weighted corneal nerve fiber thickness (CNFTh) were calculated using a dedicated, published algorithm and compared.

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“…Moreover, the presence of ridge-like deformations in the otherwise flat arrangement of the SNP requires depth scans [3] (Image 1). In order to address these two major limitations of CLSM we have previously published image processing algorithms for registration of CLSM image sequences including the correction of motion artefacts [4], reconstruction of two-dimensional projection images of the SNP (simply referred to as SNP images hereafter) from registered CLSM volume scans by tracing the deformed SNP layer inside the volume data [3] (Image 1), and also an approach to creating extended mosaics of the SNP from SNP images [5]. The latter used the CLSM sequence registration scheme for the registration of the SNP images.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mosaicking images of the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus using hierarchical block-based image registration

Allgeier

Eberle

Köhler

et al. 2012

Biomedical Engineering / Biomedizinische Technik

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Introduction: Recent studies have shown in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of peripheral nerve fibres in the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SNP) to be a promising diagnostic tool for early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. However, the small field of view in CLSM and the presence of ridge-like deformations of the SNP are the major limitations of this technique. We have previously published image processing algorithms for correcting motion artefacts in CLSM image sequences, reconstructing two-dimensional images of the SNP from CLSM volume scans, and generating SNP mosaics from reconstructed SNP images to address these limitations. Here we present a new approach to mosaicking the reconstructed SNP images. Methods: The proposed mosaicking algorithm comprises three steps: rigid coarse registration, hierarchical block-based registration and mosaic formation. The coarse alignment of (partly overlapping) SNP images uses the phase-only correlation function. Because the SNP images are already devoid of most residual distortion artefacts the local registration error remaining after this step is relatively small. The hierarchical refinement of the registration result is performed by decomposing each image into a grid of uniform rectangular blocks and registering corresponding blocks of all images. Finally, the blocks at each grid position are analysed to exclude blocks that could not be registered precisely. The mosaic image is created by averaging the remaining blocks. Results:The proposed algorithm has been tested on 8 previously recorded CLSM datasets consisting of 4 to 19 volume scans each. The resulting mosaic images show an improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to mosaics created with our previous implementation. In addition, erroneous duplications of nerve structures occasionally observed in previous results are almost completely avoided by the presented method. Conclusion:The proposed algorithm to SNP image mosaicking is clearly superior to our previously published approach, providing a much more robust basis for morphological analysis of corneal nerve fibres.

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Image Reconstruction of the Subbasal Nerve Plexus with In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Cited by 66 publications

References 28 publications

Comparison of Standard Versus Wide-Field Composite Images of the Corneal Subbasal Layer by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Comparison of Standard Versus Wide-Field Composite Images of the Corneal Subbasal Layer by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

Comparative quantitative assessment of the human corneal sub-basal nerve plexus by in vivo confocal microscopy and histological staining

Mosaicking images of the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus using hierarchical block-based image registration

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