ARTERY AND VEIN CLASSIFICATION IN RETINAL IMAGES USING GRAPH BASED APPROACH

Abstract

Digital image analysis of eye fundus images has several benefits than current observer based techniques. The characteristic symptoms of different systemic diseases like hypertension, glaucoma, diabetes and cardiovascular disorder etc. affects retinal vessels. Diseases like diabetes show abnormalities and diameter changes in retinal blood vessels. In hypertension retinal blood vessels show dilatation and elongation of main arteries and veins. Arteriolar to venular diameter ratio (AVR) express high blood pressure levels, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. Among other image processing operations the estimation of AVR requires vessel segmentation, accurate vessel width measurement and artery or vein classification [1]. Hence the identification of arteries is essential to detect eye diseases. The work has been done on automated classification of retinal vessels and hence it is a challenging task.