title: An algorithm for MR angiography image enhancement.
abstract: This study describes a three-dimensional (3D) filtering algorithm for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) image enhancement. Based on the properties of 3D MRA data, the algorithm uses the dispersion range of the 13 outputs of a 3D directional low-pass filter bank to identify the vessel structure and control the processing of MRA data. Vascular structures in the data are preserved while the components of static tissues and isolated noise impulses are reduced by the processing. As a result, the small vessels have been enhanced and visibility of vessels in the projected image has been improved.
authors.affiliation: Radiologic Imaging Laboratory, Toshiba America MRI, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*