Modeling, segmentation, and caliber estimation of bronchi in high resolution computerized tomography

In this paper, we address bronchi segmentation in high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) in order to estimate the bronchial caliber. The method developed is based on mathematical morphology theory, and relies on morphological filtering, marking techniques derived from the concept of connection cost, and conditional watershed. In order to evaluate the robustness of the segmentation and the accuracy of the caliber estimates, a realistic bronchi modeling based on physiological characteristics has been developed. According to the size of the bronchi, the accuracy is up to 90%. Results are presented and discussed.