Three dimensional displacement and function of the right ventricle using optical flow with tagged magnetic resonance imaging

A new technique to analyse the whole 3D motion and the local function of the right ventricle is presented. Using magnetic resonance images tagged with complementary spatial modulation of magnetization (CSPAMM), the displacement field is calculated using a 2D multi-scale optical flow algorithm applied on short-axis and radial long-axis slices. Coordinates and displacement over time of points on these orientations are computed, so that a finite element model can be built. This resulting 3D reconstruction illustrates full right ventricle motion. Ten healthy hearts have been reconstructed, and the resulting 3D view allowed visualisation of the whole systole and the beginning of the wave of diastolic release from base to apex. These results could serve as a basis for further studies on various pathologic right ventricle conditions