Vessel segmentation and analysis in laboratory skin transplant micro-angiograms

Abstract

The success of skin transplantations depends on the adequate revascularization of the transplanted dermal matrix. To induce vessel growth or angiogenesis, pharmacological substances may be applied to the dermal matrix. The effectiveness of different such substances has been evaluated in laboratory experiments. For this purpose, the surface and length of newly grown vessels have to be measured in micro-angiograms (x-ray images of the blood vessels recorded after the injection of a radiopaque substance) of tissue transplanted on the back of laboratory animals. To this end we describe in this contribution a vessel analysis environment central to which is a vessel segmentation tool for surface quantification in fasciocutaneous skin transplant micro-angiograms.