title: Placenta Maps: In Utero Placental Health Assessment of the Human Fetus.
abstract: The human placenta is essential for the supply of the fetus. To monitor the fetal development, imaging data is acquired using (US). Although it is currently the gold-standard in fetal imaging, it might not capture certain abnormalities of the placenta. (MRI) is a safe alternative for the in utero examination while acquiring the fetus data in higher detail. Nevertheless, there is currently no established procedure for assessing the condition of the placenta and consequently the fetal health. Due to maternal respiration and inherent movements of the fetus during examination, a quantitative assessment of the placenta requires fetal motion compensation, precise placenta segmentation and a standardized visualization, which are challenging tasks. Utilizing advanced motion compensation and automatic segmentation methods to extract the highly versatile shape of the placenta, we introduce a novel visualization technique that presents the fetal and maternal side of the placenta in a standardized way. Our approach enables physicians to explore the placenta even in utero. This establishes the basis for a comparative assessment of multiple placentas to analyze possible pathologic arrangements and to support the research and understanding of this vital organ. Additionally, we propose a three-dimensional structure-aware surface slicing technique in order to explore relevant regions inside the placenta. Finally, to survey the applicability of our approach, we consulted clinical experts in prenatal diagnostics and imaging. We received mainly positive feedback, especially the applicability of our technique for research purposes was appreciated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Haichao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Department of Simulation and Graphics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mistelbauer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karimov
authors.affiliation: Department of Computing, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alansary
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David F A
authors.initials: DFA
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mellisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damodaram
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Story
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hajnal
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.affiliation: Department of Simulation and Graphics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Preim
authors.affiliation: Department of Computing, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kainz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M Eduard
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Groller
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*