Automatic segmentation of zona pellucida in HMC images of human embryos

An important prognostic parameter for assessing the success of an in vitro fertilization treatment is the variation in thickness of the zona pellucida. Zona pellucida, the envelope of the human embryo, is usually visualized using Hoffman modulation contrast microscopy (HMC). This paper addresses the problem of segmenting the zona pellucida in HMC images of embryos. We propose a variational method based on an image model for the zona which takes advantage of the characteristic appearance of HMC images. The simple topology of the embryo allows us to focus on parametric models. Our approach is partly inspired by the works of Chan and Vese, to which it has some similarities.