Front Artif Intell. 2024 Sep 9;7:1376546. doi: 10.3389/frai.2024.1376546. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study delves into the crucial domain of sperm segmentation, a pivotal component of male infertility diagnosis. It explores the efficacy of diverse architectural configurations coupled with various encoders, leveraging frames from the VISEM dataset for evaluation.

METHODS: The pursuit of automated sperm segmentation led to the examination of multiple deep learning architectures, each paired with distinct encoders. Extensive experimentation was conducted on the VISEM dataset to assess their performance.

RESULTS: Our study evaluated various deep learning architectures with different encoders for sperm segmentation using the VISEM dataset. While each model configuration exhibited distinct strengths and weaknesses, UNet++ with ResNet34 emerged as a top-performing model, demonstrating exceptional accuracy in distinguishing sperm cells from non-sperm cells. However, challenges persist in accurately identifying closely adjacent sperm cells. These findings provide valuable insights for improving automated sperm segmentation in male infertility diagnosis.

DISCUSSION: The study underscores the significance of selecting appropriate model combinations based on specific diagnostic requirements. It also highlights the challenges related to distinguishing closely adjacent sperm cells.

CONCLUSION: This research advances the field of automated sperm segmentation for male infertility diagnosis, showcasing the potential of deep learning techniques. Future work should aim to enhance accuracy in scenarios involving close proximity between sperm cells, ultimately improving clinical sperm analysis.

PMID:39315244 | PMC:PMC11418809 | DOI:10.3389/frai.2024.1376546