3D Modeling of Coronary Artery Bifurcations from CTA and Conventional Coronary Angiography

Abstract

Abstract. Coronary artery bifurcations are regions where the atherosclerotic plaque appears more frequently and where the percutaneous treatment is more challenging. To analyze these important vascular regions, in this paper is proposed a method for the extraction of realistic 3D models of coronary bifurcations combining information from pre operative computer tomography angiography (CTA) to obtain the 3D structure of the vessels and pre and post operative conventional coronary angiography (CCA) to extract a more accurate estimation of the lumen radius before and after stenting. The method proposed is semiautomatic, starting from a set of user defined landmarks, and has been successfully applied to data from five patients that underwent endovascular treatment in a coronary bifurcation. The results obtained are satisfactory by visual inspection and in comparison with manual measurements.

Anatomical Labeling of the Circle of Willis Using Maximum A Posteriori Probability Estimation

“…In order to connect the centerlines, from each centerline end-point we start a fast marching with underlying image intensity as a speed function, until another centerline object is reached. We then backtrack using local gradient direction to obtain the minimal cost path that connects the two centerlines [39]. We finally check that all the centerlines are well connected and perform manual corrections if necessary.…”

Computational fluid dynamic simulations of image-based stented coronary bifurcation models

“…Pre-treatment CTA and CCA were used to create the internal surfaces of the pre-stenting geometries following the methodology proposed by Cárdenes et al [11]. The combination of these two modalities provides a more realistic reconstruction than just using one of them alone.…”

“…In particular, two cases of pathologic LAD with their bifurcations treated at University Hospital Doctor Peset (Valencia, Spain) are studied. The vessels are reconstructed using the pre-operative computed tomography angiography (CTA) and conventional coronary angiography (CCA) images [11]. Then, the fluid domains are obtained from the structural simulations which replicate the stenting procedures followed by the clinicians who performed the interventions [12].…”

Model generation of coronary artery bifurcations from CTA and single plane angiography

“…Therefore, realistic 3D bifurcation geometries can be obtained using routinely acquired imaging techniques, with a semiautomatic method that provides the preprocedure and postprocedure models of the vessels. The method proposed here, provides a formal description and validation of a work presented before, 17 by comparing our models with CTA alone, with CCA alone, and using a phantom device to show the feasibility of the method. This is, as far as we know, the first time that these two modalities are combined for the reconstruction of coronary artery bifurcations.…”