12.8IVOct 31, 2023
Assessing and Enhancing Robustness of Deep Learning Models with Corruption Emulation in Digital PathologyPeixiang Huang, Songtao Zhang, Yulu Gan et al. · pku
Deep learning in digital pathology brings intelligence and automation as substantial enhancements to pathological analysis, the gold standard of clinical diagnosis. However, multiple steps from tissue preparation to slide imaging introduce various image corruptions, making it difficult for deep neural network (DNN) models to achieve stable diagnostic results for clinical use. In order to assess and further enhance the robustness of the models, we analyze the physical causes of the full-stack corruptions throughout the pathological life-cycle and propose an Omni-Corruption Emulation (OmniCE) method to reproduce 21 types of corruptions quantified with 5-level severity. We then construct three OmniCE-corrupted benchmark datasets at both patch level and slide level and assess the robustness of popular DNNs in classification and segmentation tasks. Further, we explore to use the OmniCE-corrupted datasets as augmentation data for training and experiments to verify that the generalization ability of the models has been significantly enhanced.
3.0IVNov 16, 2023
Now and Future of Artificial Intelligence-based Signet Ring Cell Diagnosis: A SurveyZhu Meng, Junhao Dong, Limei Guo et al.
Signet ring cells (SRCs), associated with a high propensity for peripheral metastasis and poor prognosis, critically influence surgical decision-making and outcome prediction. However, their detection remains challenging even for experienced pathologists. While artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated SRC diagnosis has gained increasing attention for its potential to enhance diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, existing methodologies lack systematic review. This gap impedes the assessment of disparities between algorithmic capabilities and clinical applicability. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of AI-driven SRC analysis from 2008 through June 2025. We systematically summarize the biological characteristics of SRCs and challenges in their automated identification. Representative algorithms are analyzed and categorized as unimodal or multi-modal approaches. Unimodal algorithms, encompassing image, omics, and text data, are reviewed; image-based ones are further subdivided into classification, detection, segmentation, and foundation model tasks. Multi-modal algorithms integrate two or more data modalities (images, omics, and text). Finally, by evaluating current methodological performance against clinical assistance requirements, we discuss unresolved challenges and future research directions in SRC analysis. This survey aims to assist researchers, particularly those without medical backgrounds, in understanding the landscape of SRC analysis and the prospects for intelligent diagnosis, thereby accelerating the translation of computational algorithms into clinical practice.
5.1IVMar 5, 2025
Beyond H&E: Unlocking Pathological Insights with Polarization ImagingYao Du, Jiaxin Zhuang, Xiaoyu Zheng et al.
Histopathology image analysis is fundamental to digital pathology, with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining as the gold standard for diagnostic and prognostic assessments. While H&E imaging effectively highlights cellular and tissue structures, it lacks sensitivity to birefringence and tissue anisotropy, which are crucial for assessing collagen organization, fiber alignment, and microstructural alterations--key indicators of tumor progression, fibrosis, and other pathological conditions. To bridge this gap, we construct a polarization imaging system and curate a new dataset of over 13,000 paired Polar-H&E images. Visualizations of polarization properties reveal distinctive optical signatures in pathological tissues, underscoring its diagnostic value. Building on this dataset, we propose PolarHE, a dual-modality fusion framework that integrates H&E with polarization imaging, leveraging the latter ability to enhance tissue characterization. Our approach employs a feature decomposition strategy to disentangle common and modality specific features, ensuring effective multimodal representation learning. Through comprehensive validation, our approach significantly outperforms previous methods, achieving an accuracy of 86.70% on the Chaoyang dataset and 89.06% on the MHIST dataset. These results demonstrate that polarization imaging is a powerful and underutilized modality in computational pathology, enriching feature representation and improving diagnostic accuracy. PolarHE establishes a promising direction for multimodal learning, paving the way for more interpretable and generalizable pathology models.