Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 22;14(1):9215. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59626-y.
Stitching of microscopic images is a technique used to combine multiple overlapping images (tiles) from biological samples with a limited field of view and high resolution to create a whole slide image. Image stitching involves two main steps: pairwise registration and global alignment. Most of the computational load and the accuracy of the stitching algorithm depend on the pairwise registration method. Therefore, choosing an efficient, accurate, robust, and fast pairwise registration method is crucial in the whole slide imaging technique. This paper presents a detailed comparative analysis of different pairwise registration techniques in terms of execution time and quality. These techniques included feature-based methods such as Harris, Shi-Thomasi, FAST, ORB, BRISK, SURF, SIFT, KAZE, MSER, and deep learning-based SuperPoint features. Additionally, region-based methods were analyzed, which were based on the normalized cross-correlation (NCC) and the combination of phase correlation and NCC. Investigations have been conducted on microscopy images from different modalities such as bright-field, phase-contrast, and fluorescence. The feature-based methods were highly robust to uneven illumination in tiles. Moreover, some features were found to be more accurate and faster than region-based methods, with the SURF features identified as the most effective technique. This study provides valuable insights into the selection of the most efficient and accurate pairwise registration method for creating whole slide images, which is essential for the advancement of computational pathology and biology.
显微镜图像拼接是一种将具有有限视场和高分辨率的生物样本的多个重叠图像(瓦片)组合成一个全切片图像的技术。图像拼接包括两个主要步骤:两两配准和全局对准。大多数计算负载和拼接算法的准确性都取决于两两配准方法。因此,选择一种高效、准确、鲁棒和快速的两两配准方法对于全切片成像技术至关重要。本文详细比较了不同两两配准技术在执行时间和质量方面的性能。这些技术包括基于特征的方法,如 Harris、Shi-Thomasi、FAST、ORB、BRISK、SURF、SIFT、KAZE、MSER 和基于深度学习的 SuperPoint 特征。此外,还分析了基于归一化互相关(NCC)和相位相关与 NCC 组合的基于区域的方法。研究了来自不同模式的显微镜图像,如明场、相差和荧光。基于特征的方法对瓦片中的不均匀照明具有很高的鲁棒性。此外,一些特征被发现比基于区域的方法更准确和更快,其中 SURF 特征被认为是最有效的技术。这项研究为选择最有效和准确的两两配准方法来创建全切片图像提供了有价值的见解,这对于计算病理学和生物学的发展至关重要。