Tao Y, Cai Y, Fu H, Song L, Xie L, Wang K. Automated interpretation and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
Int J Med Inform 2021;
157:104638. [PMID:
34775213 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104638]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) plays an essential role in the differential diagnosis of respiratory diseases. In recent years, deep learning has demonstrated excellent performance in image processing and object recognition.
OBJECTIVES
We aim to apply deep learning to the automated interpretation and analysis of BALF.
METHOD
Visual images were acquired using an automated biological microscopy platform. We propose a three-step algorithm to automatically interpret BALF cytology based on a convolutional neural network (CNN). The clinical value was evaluated at the patient level.
RESULTS
Our model successfully detected most cells in BALF specimens and achieved a sensitivity, precision, and F1 score of over 0.9 for most cell types. In two tests in the clinical context, the algorithm outperformed experienced practitioners.
CONCLUSION
The program can automatically provide the cytological background of BALF and augment clinical decision-making for clinicians.
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