A cloud-based tool for federated segmentation of whole slide images

Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng. 2022 Feb-Mar:12039:120391J. doi: 10.1117/12.2613502. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Abstract

It is commonly known that diverse datasets of WSIs are beneficial when training convolutional neural networks, however sharing medical data between institutions is often hindered by regulatory concerns. We have developed a cloud-based tool for federated WSI segmentation, allowing collaboration between institutions without the need to directly share data. To show the feasibility of federated learning on pathology data in the real world, We demonstrate this tool by segmenting IFTA from three institutions and show that keeping the three datasets separate does not hinder segmentation performance. This pipeline is deployed in the cloud for easy access for data viewing and annotation by each site's respective constituents.

Keywords: Federated learning; IFTA; WSI segmentation; cloud based analysis.