Title :
A method for a fully automatic definition of coronary arterial edges from cineangiograms
Author :
Eichel, P.H. ; Delp, E.J. ; Koral, K. ; Buda, A.J.
Author_Institution :
Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Abstract :
The authors describe a novel algorithm, known as sequential edge linking (SEL), for the automatic definition of coronary arterial edges in cineangiograms. This algorithm is based on sequential tree searching of possible coronary artery boundary locations. Using a coronary artery phantom, the authors compared the results obtained using SEL with hand-traced boundaries. Using a magnification of 2*, the results are generally good, with the average error being 1.7% of the diameter. Actual coronary artery images were also processed and a similar comparison indicated that total areas were comparable but the hand-drawn stenoses were, on average, 7% greater than the unobstructed diameter. Based on these data it is concluded that the SEL algorithm is an accurate method for fully automatic definition of coronary artery dimensions.<>
Keywords :
cardiology; diagnostic radiography; medical diagnostic computing; cineangiograms; coronary arterial edges; fully automatic definition; hand-traced boundaries; sequential edge linking; sequential tree searching; Arteries; Cardiac disease; Computer vision; Decision trees; Humans; Imaging phantoms; Joining processes; Laboratories; Medical treatment; Surgery;
Journal_Title :
Medical Imaging, IEEE Transactions on
