A user-friendly tool for cloud-based whole slide image segmentation with examples from renal histopathology

Plain language summaryArtificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer to conduct complex tasks that humans are capable of performing. AI is useful in the field of pathology, which involves analyzing images of the microscopic structure of different tissues. However, AI can be difficult to set up and apply to the task. One specific task, segmentation, involves picking specific structures out of tissue images and is a prime candidate for automation with AI. In our study, we have created a tool for pathology image segmentation which runs in the cloud (is accessible over the web). We demonstrate the tool by using it to segment various structures from kidney tissue. Our experiments show that the tool is easy to use, accurate, and can estimate the presence of one type of scarring as reliably as human experts. Lutnick et al. develop a cloud-based deep learning tool for whole slide image segmentation. The authors provide several examples of its application in renal pathology, for segmenting glomeruli, interstitial fibrosis and other features of interest. BackgroundImage-based machine learning tools hold great promise for clinical applications in pathology research. However, the ideal end-users of these computational tools (e.g., pathologists and biological scientists) often lack the programming experience required for the setup and use of these tools which often rely on the use of command line interfaces.MethodsWe have developed Histo-Cloud, a tool for segmentation of whole slide images (WSIs) that has an easy-to-use graphical user interface. This tool runs a state-of-the-art convolutional neural network (CNN) for segmentation of WSIs in the cloud and allows the extraction of features from segmented regions for further analysis.ResultsBy segmenting glomeruli, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, and vascular structures from renal and non-renal WSIs, we demonstrate the scalability, best practices for transfer learning, and effects of dataset variability. Finally, we demonstrate an application for animal model research, analyzing glomerular features in three murine models.ConclusionsHisto-Cloud is open source, accessible over the internet, and adaptable for segmentation of any histological structure regardless of stain.