Collateral motion saliency-based model for Trypanosoma cruzi detection in dye-free blood microscopy

Abstract

The motion performed by some protozoa is a crucial visual stimulus in microscopy analysis, especially when they have almost imperceptible morphological characteristics. Microorganisms can be distinguished through the interactions of their locomotion with neighboring elements, as observed in some parasitological analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi. In dye-free blood microscopy, the low contrast of this parasite makes it difficult to detect them. Thus, the parasite's interaction with the neighborhood, such as collisions with blood cells and shocks during the escape of confinements in cell clumps, generates collateral motions that assist its detection. Assuming that the collateral motion of the parasite can be sufficiently noticeable to overcome the dynamic contexts of inspection, we propose a novel computational approach that is based on motion saliency. We estimate motion in microscopy videos using dense optical flow and we investigate vestiges in saliency maps that could characterize the collateral motion of parasites. Our biological-inspired method shows that the parasite's collateral motion is a relevant feature for T. cruzi detection. Therefore, our computational model is a promising aid in the research and medical diagnosis of Chagas disease.