Leland Stanford Junior University

Bhargav Raman

Sandy A Napel

Raghav Raman

Geoffrey D Rubin

A method to define a curved slab region of interest that includes vessels while maximally excluding surrounding soft tissue and bone is provided. The thickness of the curved slab is automatically adapted to the thickness of the vessel and follows the tortuous vessel(s) so that an increase in tortuousity does not result in a disproportionate increase in the region of interest required to enclose the vessel. A plurality of boundary pairs is determined in the view plane to define a vessel. Vessel-intensities are determined for each one of the boundary pairs. The boundary pairs with associated intensities define the view of the vessel in the projection plane. Context-intensity could be defined in the area surrounding the boundary pairs in the projection and/or transverse plane. The method also includes several steps that will result in a better isolation and removal of non-vessel structures and view of the vessel(s) and its(their) branches.

Curved-slab maximum intensity projections

A method to quantify the vascular irregularity of aortoiliac arteries is provided. Inner wall and/or outer wall outlines of a vessel of interest are determined. The cross sectional area is determined for the area outlined by each outline. Using this cross sectional area a shape is selected that has substantially the same area as the outline. Subsequently, the shape is fitted to the outline. In one aspect, the irregularity index is calculated as the ratio of the outline and the outline of the fitted shape. In another aspect, the irregularity index is calculated as the ratio of at least a part of the outline and the outline of the fitted shape that corresponds to the same part of the outline. The irregularity index is visualized using a color scheme, a range of numbers, or a set of labels.

Quantification of vascular irregularity

A method that allows the quantification of the true mass of a calcium fragment located along a vessel is provided. The method is independent of the level of arterial contrast enhancement, does not require protocol-specific or scanner-specific calibration scans, and allows a detailed analysis of calcium distribution patterns. For each identified calcium fragment, the average intensity and volume is determined as a function of a plurality of intensity thresholds. Using these determined values brightness volume products are calculated for each of the plurality of intensity thresholds. The mass of a calcium segment is subsequently obtained from the calculated brightness volume products extrapolated at zero intensity and reference calcium parameters. The mass and volume of the calcium fragments could be visualized with respect to a vessel in a computer display.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bhargav Raman