Foetal Heartbeat and Volume Detection Using Spherical Harmonics Shape Model for Level Set Segmentation

The paper is aimed to estimate the heartbeat and volume of a foetus based on three-dimensional images from ultrasonic using image processing algorithms. Since human soft tissues show a minimal intensity difference, the ultrasonic produces poor quality image. Enhancement of the boundary is done to recover the deprived image which is the input image for segmentation. Simultaneously, the superfluous edges in the foetus image are removed to enhance the quality. Nonlinear dispersal techniques were incorporated for foetal image enhancement method. Foetus images are processed using segmentations based on iso-intensity and edge focusing to achieve apt and comprehensible edge image. The iso-intensity shape method is applied to sort the pixel values with equal intensity. Another shape-based method, which has been used, is edge focusing, and this method depends on the disparities of significance between dissimilar boundaries in the foetus picture. When outline is traced out as a series of the points in the three-dimensional volume, then the shape of the foetus can be fitted. The normal profile of anterior or posterior region resembles a sphere or an ellipse which needs to be fitted. As soon as an analytical figure is fit, the volume of the foetus and therefore the heartbeat and volume can be premeditated. These image processing algorithms are developed using image acquisition tool from MATLAB 2013a to acquire and process the foetal images. The results are finally validated using the error value.