Abstract: In this paper, we present a fully automatic method which identifies every bifurcation in an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) sequence, the corresponding frames, the angular orientation with respect to the IVUS acquisition, and the extension. This goal is reached using a two-level classification scheme: first, a classifier is applied to a set of textural features extracted from each image of a sequence. A comparison among three state-of-the-art discriminative classifiers (AdaBoost, random forest, and support vector machine) is performed to identify the most suitable method for the branching detection task. Second, the results are improved by exploiting contextual information using a multiscale stacked sequential learning scheme. The results are then successively refined using a-priori information about branching dimensions and geometry. The proposed approach provides a robust tool for the quick review of pullback sequences, facilitating the evaluation of the lesion at bifurcation sites. The proposed method reaches an F-Measure score of 86.35%, while the F-Measure scores for inter- and intraobserver variability are 71.63% and 76.18%, respectively. The obtained results are positive. Especially, considering the branching detection task is very challenging, due to high variability in bifurcation dimensions and appearance.

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a new approach to extract text regions from graphical documents. In our method, we first empirically construct two sequences of learned dictionaries for the text and graphical parts respectively. Then, we compute the sparse representations of all different sizes and non-overlapped document patches in these learned dictionaries. Based on these representations, each patch can be classified into the text or graphic category by comparing its reconstruction errors. Same-sized patches in one category are then merged together to define the corresponding text or graphic layers which are combined to createfinal text/graphic layer. Finally, in a post-processing step, text regions are further filtered out by using some learned thresholds.

Abstract: In this thesis we tackle the problem of automatic characterization of human coronary vessel in Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) image modality. The basis for the whole characterization process is machine learning applied to multi-class problems. In all the presented approaches, the Error-Correcting Output Codes (ECOC) framework is used as central element for the design of multi-class classifiers.
Two main topics are tackled in this thesis. First, the automatic detection of the vessel borders is presented. For this purpose, a novel context-aware classifier for multi-class classification of the vessel morphology is presented, namely ECOC-DRF. Based on ECOC-DRF, the lumen border and the media-adventitia border in IVUS are robustly detected by means of a novel holistic approach, achieving an error comparable with inter-observer variability and with state of the art methods.
The two vessel borders define the atheroma area of the vessel. In this area, tissue characterization is required. For this purpose, we present a framework for automatic plaque characterization by processing both texture in IVUS images and spectral information in raw Radio Frequency data. Furthermore, a novel method for fusing in-vivo and in-vitro IVUS data for plaque characterization is presented, namely pSFFS. The method demonstrates to effectively fuse data generating a classifier that improves the tissue characterization in both in-vitro and in-vivo datasets.
A novel method for automatic video summarization in IVUS sequences is also presented. The method aims to detect the key frames of the sequence, i.e., the frames representative of morphological changes. This novel method represents the basis for video summarization in IVUS as well as the markers for the partition of the vessel into morphological and clinically interesting events.
Finally, multi-class learning based on ECOC is applied to lung tissue characterization in Computed Tomography. The novel proposed approach, based on supervised and unsupervised learning, achieves accurate tissue classification on a large and heterogeneous dataset.

Abstract: It is widely accepted that myocardial fiber architecture plays a critical role in myocardial contractility and relaxation (1). However, there is a lack of consensus about the distribution of the myocardial fibers and their spatial arrangement in the left and right ventricles. An understanding of the cardiac architecture should benefit the ventricular functional assessment, left ventricular reconstructive surgery planning, or resynchronization therapy in heart failure. Researchers have proposed several conceptual models to describe the architecture of the heart, ranging from gross dissection to histological presentation. The cardiac mesh model (2) proposes that the myocytes are arranged longitudinally and radially change their angulation along the myocardial depth. By contrast, the helical ventricular myocardial model states that the ventricular myocardium is a continuous anatomical helical layout of myocardial fibers (1

Abstract: Local image descriptors are generally designed for describing all possible image patches. Such patches may be subject to complex variations in appearance due to incidental object, scene and recording conditions. Because of this, a single-best descriptor for accurate image representation under all conditions does not exist. Therefore, we propose to automatically select from a pool of descriptors the one that is best suitable based on object surface and scene properties. These properties are measured on the fly from a single image patch through a set of attributes. Attributes are input to a classifier which selects the best descriptor. Our experiments on a large dataset of colored object patches show that the proposed selection method outperforms the best single descriptor and a-priori combinations of the descriptor pool.

Abstract: Medial representations are a widely used technique in abdominal organ shape representation and parametrization. Those methods require good medial manifolds as a starting point. Any medial
surface used to parametrize a volume should be simple enough to allow an easy manipulation and complete enough to allow an accurate reconstruction of the volume. Obtaining good quality medial
surfaces is still a problem with current iterative thinning methods. This forces the usage of generic, pre-calculated medial templates that are adapted to the final shape at the cost of a drop in volume reconstruction.
This paper describes an operator for generation of medial structures that generates clean and complete manifolds well suited for their further use in medial representations of abdominal organ volumes. While being simpler than thinning surfaces, experiments show its high performance in volume reconstruction and preservation of medial surface main branching topology.

Abstract: Medial representations are powerful tools for describing and parameterizing the volumetric shape of anatomical structures. Existing methods show excellent results when applied to 2D
objects, but their quality drops across dimensions. This paper contributes to the computation of medial manifolds in two aspects. First, we provide a standard scheme for the computation of medial
manifolds that avoid degenerated medial axis segments; second, we introduce an energy based method which performs independently of the dimension. We evaluate quantitatively the performance of our
method with respect to existing approaches, by applying them to synthetic shapes of known medial geometry. Finally, we show results on shape representation of multiple abdominal organs,
exploring the use of medial manifolds for the representation of multi-organ relations.