Application of stereo techniques to angiography: qualitative and quantitative approaches

The authors discuss the use of stereo imaging techniques as a low cost and low radiation dosage means to provide physicians with three-dimensional (3D) information for diagnosis and follow-up care of patients. Instead of using a pair of images obtained from perpendicular directions (as in the case of biplane radiography), the authors show that if a pair of small-angle stereo X-ray images are obtained, observers can vividly perceive the images in 3D during acquisition, i.e. real-time stereo visualization is possible. In addition, quantitative information such as blood flow measurements and the amount of arterial narrowing can be extracted off-line by using computational stereo algorithms. The potential advantages of using a small-angle stereo-based approach as opposed to biplane angiography are discussed