title: Quantitative analysis of synchrotron radiation intravenous angiographic images.
abstract: A medical research protocol on clinical intravenous coronary angiography has been completed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) biomedical beamline. The aim was to investigate the accuracy of intravenous coronary angiography based on the K-edge digital subtraction technique for the detection of in-stent restenosis. For each patient, diagnosis has been performed on the synchrotron radiation images and monitored with the conventional selective coronary angiography method taken as the golden standard. In this paper, the methods of image processing and the results of the quantitative analysis are described. Image processing includes beam harmonic contamination correction, spatial deconvolution and the extraction of a 'contrast' and a 'tissue' image from each couple of radiograms simultaneously acquired at energies bracketing the K-edge of iodine. Quantitative analysis includes the estimation of the vessel diameter, the calculation of the absolute iodine concentration profiles along the coronary arteries and the stenosis degree measurement.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università degli Studi di Ferrara and INFN Sezione di Ferrara, Via Paradiso 12, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarnelli
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nemoz
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elleaume
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Estève
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bravin
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D017356:Synchrotrons