A novel approach for the detection of pathlines in X-ray angiograms: the wavefront propagation algorithm.
This article presents a new pathline approach, based on the wavefront propagation principle, and developed in order to reduce the variability in the outcomes of the quantitative coronary artery analysis. This novel approach, called wavepath, reduces the influence of the user-defined start- and endpoints of the vessel segment and is therefore more robust and improves the reproducibility of the lesion quantification substantially. The validation study shows that the wavepath method is totally constant in the middle part of the pathline, even when using the method for constructing a bifurcation or sidebranch pathline. Furthermore, the number of corrections needed to guide the wavepath through the correct vessel is decreased from an average of 0.44 corrections per pathline to an average of 0.12 per pathline. Therefore, it can be concluded that the wavepath algorithm improves the overall analysis substantially.
Janssen
Johannes P
JP
Division of Image Processing (LKEB), Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.p.janssen@lumc.nl
Koning
Gerhard
G
de Koning
Patrick J H
PJ
Tuinenburg
Joan C
JC
Reiber
Johan H C
JH
D000465:Algorithms; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results