Curve computation by geodesics and graph modelling for polymer analysis

Abstract : Even though polymer chains are well studied, the convolution and diffraction effect of microscopes may cause the quality of the images to be blurry and/or noisy. This paper aims to present an automatic method to extract the curve representing a polymer chain. This curve is useful for chemical studies; for instance, the length of a polymer chain and its curvature are related to its chemical properties. A movement of the polymer chain may lead to complex geometries with possible intersections. In response to this, we developed an approach computing a piecewise curve traversing the shape. This technique relies on computing several geodesics by browsing distinct parts of the shape. Fusing these elements together allows the entire shape to be represented. The curve orientation is already preserved by considering the fusion as a graph traversal problem. The method provides promising results, validated by experts and approved by simulation.