Approach for enhancing the accuracy of semantic segmentation of chest X-ray images by edge detection and deep learning integration.

Introduction: Accurate segmentation of anatomical structures in chest X-ray images remains challenging, especially for regions with low contrast and overlapping structures. This limitation significantly affects the diagnosis of cardiothoracic diseases. Existing deep learning methods often struggle with preserving structural boundaries, leading to segmentation artifacts.

Methods: To address these challenges, I propose a novel segmentation approach that integrates contour detection techniques with the U-net deep learning architecture. Specifically, the method employs Sobel and Scharr edge detection filters to enhance structural boundaries in chest X-ray images before segmentation. The pipeline involves pre-processing using contour detection, followed by segmentation with a U-net model trained to identify lungs, heart, and clavicles.

Results: Experimental evaluation demonstrated that using edge-enhancing filters, particularly the Sobel operator, leads to a marked improvement in segmentation accuracy. For lung segmentation, the model achieved an accuracy of 99.26%, a Dice coefficient of 98.88%, and a Jaccard index of 97.54%. Heart segmentation results included 99.47% accuracy and 94.14% Jaccard index, while clavicle segmentation reached 99.79% accuracy and 89.57% Jaccard index. These results consistently outperform the baseline U-net model without edge enhancement.

Discussion: The integration of contour detection methods with the U-net model significantly improves the segmentation quality of complex anatomical regions in chest X-rays. Among the tested filters, the Sobel operator proved to be the most effective in enhancing boundary information and reducing segmentation artifacts. This approach offers a promising direction for more accurate and robust computer-aided diagnosis systems in radiology.