In vitro three-dimensional aortic vasculature modeling based on sensor fusion between intravascular ultrasound and magnetic tracker.
BACKGROUND
It is desirable to reduce aortic stent graft installation time and the amount of contrast media used for this process. Guidance with augmented reality can achieve this by facilitating alignment of the stent graft with the renal and mesenteric arteries.


METHODS
For this purpose, a sensor fusion is proposed between intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and magnetic trackers to construct three-dimensional virtual reality models of the blood vessels, as well as improvements to the gradient vector flow snake for boundary detection in ultrasound images. In vitro vasculature imaging experiments were done with hybrid probe and silicone models of the vasculature.


RESULTS
The dispersion of samples for the magnetic tracker in the hybrid probe increased less than 1 mm when the IVUS was activated. Three-dimensional models of the descending thoracic aorta, with cross-section radius average error of 0.94 mm, were built from the data fusion.


CONCLUSIONS
The development of this technology will enable reduction in the amount of contrast media required for in vivo and real-time three-dimensional blood vessel imaging.
Department of Micro-nano Systems Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
Chaoyang
C
Shi
Carlos
C
Tercero
Seiichi
S
Ikeda
Katsutoshi
K
Ooe
Toshio
T
Fukuda
Kimihiro
K
Komori
Kiyohito
K
Yamamoto
D000465:Algorithms; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008280:Magnetics; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D015607:Stents; D014463:Ultrasonography