Robust 3-D modeling of tumor microvasculature using superellipsoids

This paper presents automated methods for robust modeling and analysis of 3-D tumor microvasculature. Our methodology uses a cylindroidal superellipsoid to model localized segments of vasculature. The proposed vessel model has an explicit, low-order parameterization, allowing for joint estimation of boundary and centerline information, thereby approximating the medial axis. Further, this explicit parameterization provides a geometric framework for traversing vessels in a directed manner. Topological information like branch point location and connectivity is provided as a side effect. The proposed methodology behaves quite well across scalespace, shows a high degree of insensitivity to adjacent structures and implicitly handles branching. Exemplar results are presented from a pre-clinical study of tumor microvasculature in mice