LeukocyteCount: Automatic Identification and Counting for leukocytes using Deep Learning

Ahmed M. Sayed, Sondos A. Refaat, Abdallah M. Mostafa, Mariam S. El-Rahmany, Ensaf Hussein Mohamed

Diagnosing and monitoring diseases frequently involves the analysis of human biological samples, with blood analysis being pivotal. Specifically, leukocytes, or white blood cells (WBCs), are essential markers for evaluating the body's defense mechanisms against infections. Traditional methods for WBC counting and classification are labor-intensive and prone to inaccuracies, primarily due to human error. The conventional processes for blood cell analysis, especially those concerning WBCs, are beset with difficulties. These include the laborious nature of manual counting and the susceptibility to errors, which can significantly impact the accuracy and reliability of disease diagnosis and monitoring. This study proposes an automated, machine learning-based solution aimed at mitigating the identified challenges. By employing a hybrid model that integrates Yolov5 for the detection of WBCs, coupled with a finely tuned, pre-trained MobileNetV2 model and a Logistic Regression classifier, the study innovates in the accurate identification, counting, and classification of WBCs into four distinct types. The methodology leverages the BCCD dataset for training and validation purposes. The application of the proposed hybrid machine learning model has yielded remarkable results, demonstrating a detection accuracy rate of 98\% through the Yolov5 stage, and an unparalleled classification accuracy of 99.04\% in subsequent stages utilizing MobileNetV2 and Logistic Regression. Additionally, Our proposed YOLOv5-based RBC detection module achieves an F1 score of 99.73\%, which outperforms the baseline. These findings underscore the model's potential in transforming traditional laboratory practices for WBC analysis, offering a path towards more accurate, efficient, and reliable disease diagnostics and monitoring.