Generalized Deep Learning Framework for HEp-2 Cell Recognition Using Local Binary Pattern Maps

The authors propose a novel HEp-2 cell image classifier to improve the automation process of patients' serum evaluation. The authors' solution builds on the recent progress in deep learning based image classification. They propose an ensemble approach using multiple state-of-the-art architectures. They incorporate additional texture information extracted by an improved version of local binary patterns maps, $\alpha $α LBP-maps, which enables to create a very effective cell image classifier. This innovative combination is trained on three publicly available datasets and its general applicability is demonstrated through the evaluation on three independent test sets. The presented results show that their approach leads to a general improvement of performance on average on the three public datasets.