WATUNet: a deep neural network for segmentation of volumetric sweep imaging ultrasound

Limited access to breast cancer diagnosis globally leads to delayed treatment. Ultrasound, an effective yet underutilized method, requires specialized training for sonographers, which hinders its widespread use. Volume sweep imaging (VSI) is an innovative approach that enables untrained operators to capture high-quality ultrasound images. Combined with deep learning, like convolutional neural networks, it can potentially transform breast cancer diagnosis, enhancing accuracy, saving time and costs, and improving patient outcomes. The widely used UNet architecture, known for medical image segmentation, has limitations, such as vanishing gradients and a lack of multi-scale feature extraction and selective region attention. In this study, we present a novel segmentation model known as Wavelet_Attention_UNet (WATUNet). In this model, we incorporate wavelet gates and attention gates between the encoder and decoder instead of a simple connection to overcome the limitations mentioned, thereby improving model performance. Two datasets are utilized for the analysis: the public 'Breast Ultrasound Images' dataset of 780 images and a private VSI dataset of 3818 images, captured at the University of Rochester by the authors. Both datasets contained segmented lesions categorized into three types: no mass, benign mass, and malignant mass. Our segmentation results show superior performance compared to other deep networks. The proposed algorithm attained a Dice coefficient of 0.94 and an F1 score of 0.94 on the VSI dataset and scored 0.93 and 0.94 on the public dataset, respectively. Moreover, our model significantly outperformed other models in McNemar's test with false discovery rate correction on a 381-image VSI set. The experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed WATUNet model achieves precise segmentation of breast lesions in both standard-of-care and VSI images, surpassing state-of-the-art models. Hence, the model holds considerable promise for assisting in lesion identification, an essential step in the clinical diagnosis of breast lesions.

Enhancing breast ultrasound segmentation through fine-tuning and optimization techniques: Sharp attention UNet

Segmentation of breast ultrasound images is a crucial and challenging task in computer-aided diagnosis systems. Accurately segmenting masses in benign and malignant cases and identifying regions with no mass is a primary objective in breast ultrasound image segmentation. Deep learning (DL) has emerged as a powerful tool in medical image segmentation, revolutionizing how medical professionals analyze and interpret complex imaging data. The UNet architecture is a highly regarded and widely used DL model in medical image segmentation. Its distinctive architectural design and exceptional performance have made it popular among researchers. With the increase in data and model complexity, optimization and fine-tuning models play a vital and more challenging role than before. This paper presents a comparative study evaluating the effect of image preprocessing and different optimization techniques and the importance of fine-tuning different UNet segmentation models for breast ultrasound images. Optimization and fine-tuning techniques have been applied to enhance the performance of UNet, Sharp UNet, and Attention UNet. Building upon this progress, we designed a novel approach by combining Sharp UNet and Attention UNet, known as Sharp Attention UNet. Our analysis yielded the following quantitative evaluation metrics for the Sharp Attention UNet: the Dice coefficient, specificity, sensitivity, and F1 score values obtained were 0.93, 0.99, 0.94, and 0.94, respectively. In addition, McNemar's statistical test was applied to assess significant differences between the approaches. Across a number of measures, our proposed model outperformed all other models, resulting in improved breast lesion segmentation.

Enhancing Breast Ultrasound Segmentation through Fine-tuning and Optimization Techniques: Sharp Attention UNet

Segmentation of breast ultrasound images is a crucial and challenging task in computer-aided diagnosis systems. Accurately segmenting masses in benign and malignant cases and identifying regions with no mass is a primary objective in breast ultrasound image segmentation. Deep learning (DL) has emerged as a powerful tool in medical image segmentation, revolutionizing how medical professionals analyze and interpret complex imaging data. The UNet architecture is a highly regarded and widely used DL model in medical image segmentation. Its distinctive architectural design and exceptional performance have made it a popular choice among researchers in the medical image segmentation field. With the increase in data and model complexity, optimization and fine-tuning models play a vital and more challenging role than before. This paper presents a comparative study evaluating the effect of image preprocessing and different optimization techniques and the importance of fine-tuning different UNet segmentation models for breast ultrasound images. Optimization and fine-tuning techniques have been applied to enhance the performance of UNet, Sharp UNet, and Attention UNet. Building upon this progress, we designed a novel approach by combining Sharp UNet and Attention UNet, known as Sharp Attention UNet. Our analysis yielded the following quantitative evaluation metrics for the Sharp Attention UNet: the dice coefficient, specificity, sensitivity, and F1 score obtained values of 0.9283, 0.9936, 0.9426, and 0.9412, respectively. In addition, McNemar's statistical test was applied to assess significant differences between the approaches. Across a number of measures, our proposed model outperforms the earlier designed models and points towards improved breast lesion segmentation algorithms.