Layer decomposition of coronary angiograms

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Low-contrast features such as thrombus, dissection, and even stents can be difficult to detect in coronary x-ray images or angiograms. For these reasons we propose to improve the clinical visualization of low-contrast structures using layer decomposition. Our method for layer decomposition models the cone-beam projections through the chest as a set of superposed layers moving with translation, rotation, and scaling. We solve for the layer motions using phase correlation methods. We solve for the layer densities by averaging along moving trajectories and subtracting new layer densities from previous layer estimates. We apply layer decomposition to clinical coronary angiograms with and without contrast material. The reconstructed vessel layer represents a motion-compensated temporal average of structures co-moving with the vessel. Subtraction of background layers from the original image sequence yields a tracked background-subtracted sequence which has no vessel-motion artifacts and almost no increase in noise, unlike standard background substraction techniques. Layer decomposition improves vessel definition and visibility of low-contrast objects in cine x-ray image sequences.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: