Automated morphometry of coronary arteries with digital image analysis of intravascular ultrasound.
We designed and tested digital image processing strategies to perform fully automated segmentation of luminal and medial-adventitial boundaries in intravascular ultrasound images of human coronary arteries. Automated segmentation is an essential tool for advanced techniques of clinical visualization and quantitative measurement. Vascular compliance measurements and three-dimensional reconstructions are demonstrated as examples of such applications. Digital image processing was performed in three phases: (1) preprocessing, including a polar transform, local contrast enhancement, and speckle noise filtering; (2) segmentation, involving radial scanning, region growing, or cost-function minimization techniques; and (3) postprocessing, involving dropout filtering and outline smoothing. Cross-sectional areas were compared with manual tracings from experienced operators and showed good agreement. The algorithm bias ranged from -0.34 to 1.18 mm2; interclass and intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.94. The designed techniques currently allow fully automated segmentation without operator interaction of the luminal and, if present, medial-adventitial boundary.
Meier
D S
DS
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA.
Cothren
R M
RM
Vince
D G
DG
Cornhill
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D015982:Bias; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional