Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment

Volumetric placental measurement using 3D ultrasound has proven clinical utility in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, this metric can not currently be employed as part of a screening test due to a lack of robust and real-time segmentation tools. We present a multi-class convolutional n...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Looney, P, Yin, Y, Collins, SL, Nicolaides, K, Plasencia, W, Molloholli, M, Natsis, S, Stevenson, GN
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2021
_version_ 1797075640044748800
author Looney, P
Yin, Y
Collins, SL
Nicolaides, K
Plasencia, W
Molloholli, M
Natsis, S
Stevenson, GN
author_facet Looney, P
Yin, Y
Collins, SL
Nicolaides, K
Plasencia, W
Molloholli, M
Natsis, S
Stevenson, GN
author_sort Looney, P
collection OXFORD
description Volumetric placental measurement using 3D ultrasound has proven clinical utility in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, this metric can not currently be employed as part of a screening test due to a lack of robust and real-time segmentation tools. We present a multi-class convolutional neural network (CNN) developed to segment the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus. The ground truth dataset consisted of 2,093 labelled placental volumes augmented by 300 volumes with placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus annotated. A two pathway, hybrid model using transfer learning, a modified loss function and exponential average weighting was developed and demonstrated the best performance for placental segmentation, achieving a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.84 and 0.38 mm average Hausdorff distance (HDAV). Use of a dual-pathway architecture, improved placental segmentation by 0.03 DSC and reduced HDAV by 0.27mm when compared with a naïve multi-class model. Incorporation of exponential weighting produced a further small improvement in DSC by 0.01 and a reduction of HDAV by 0.44mm. Per volume inference using the FCNN took 7-8 seconds. This method should enable clinically relevant morphometric measurements (such as volume and total surface area) to be automatically generated for the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus. Ready availability of such metrics makes a population-based screening test for adverse pregnancy outcomes possible.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T23:53:07Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:734aa170-7692-4304-979a-f71d83702442
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T23:53:07Z
publishDate 2021
publisher Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:734aa170-7692-4304-979a-f71d837024422022-03-26T19:55:30ZFully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessmentJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:734aa170-7692-4304-979a-f71d83702442EnglishSymplectic ElementsInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers2021Looney, PYin, YCollins, SLNicolaides, KPlasencia, WMolloholli, MNatsis, SStevenson, GNVolumetric placental measurement using 3D ultrasound has proven clinical utility in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, this metric can not currently be employed as part of a screening test due to a lack of robust and real-time segmentation tools. We present a multi-class convolutional neural network (CNN) developed to segment the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus. The ground truth dataset consisted of 2,093 labelled placental volumes augmented by 300 volumes with placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus annotated. A two pathway, hybrid model using transfer learning, a modified loss function and exponential average weighting was developed and demonstrated the best performance for placental segmentation, achieving a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.84 and 0.38 mm average Hausdorff distance (HDAV). Use of a dual-pathway architecture, improved placental segmentation by 0.03 DSC and reduced HDAV by 0.27mm when compared with a naïve multi-class model. Incorporation of exponential weighting produced a further small improvement in DSC by 0.01 and a reduction of HDAV by 0.44mm. Per volume inference using the FCNN took 7-8 seconds. This method should enable clinically relevant morphometric measurements (such as volume and total surface area) to be automatically generated for the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus. Ready availability of such metrics makes a population-based screening test for adverse pregnancy outcomes possible.
spellingShingle Looney, P
Yin, Y
Collins, SL
Nicolaides, K
Plasencia, W
Molloholli, M
Natsis, S
Stevenson, GN
Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title_full Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title_fullStr Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title_full_unstemmed Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title_short Fully automated 3D ultrasound segmentation of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
title_sort fully automated 3d ultrasound segmentation of the placenta amniotic fluid and fetus for early pregnancy assessment
work_keys_str_mv AT looneyp fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT yiny fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT collinssl fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT nicolaidesk fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT plasenciaw fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT mollohollim fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT natsiss fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment
AT stevensongn fullyautomated3dultrasoundsegmentationoftheplacentaamnioticfluidandfetusforearlypregnancyassessment