Blurry-Consistency Segmentation Framework with Selective Stacking on Differential Interference Contrast 3D Breast Cancer Spheroid

Thanh-Huy Nguyen, Thi Kim Ngan Ngo, Mai Anh Vu, Ting-Yuan Tu; Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) Workshops, 2024, pp. 5223-5230

The ability of three-dimensional (3D) spheroid modeling to study the invasive behavior of breast cancer cells has drawn increased attention. The deep learning-based image processing framework is very effective at speeding up the cell morphological analysis process. Out-of-focus photos taken while capturing 3D cells under several z-slices however could negatively impact the deep learning model. In this work we created a new algorithm to handle blurry images while preserving the stacked image quality. Furthermore we proposed a unique training architecture that leverages consistency training to help reduce the bias of the model when dense-slice stacking is applied. Additionally the model's stability is increased under the sparse-slice stacking effect by utilizing the self-training approach. The new blurring stacking technique and training flow are combined with the suggested architecture and self-training mechanism to provide an innovative yet easy-to-use framework. Our methods produced noteworthy experimental outcomes in terms of both quantitative and qualitative aspects.