Visualization of Multimodality
Cardiac Imagery

Decision-making processes in medicine typically require the integration of several types of information in a meaningful, reliable, and efficient manner. In medical imaging problems, this integration involves voluminous amounts of data, thereby presenting a formidable problem in the representation, display, and interpretation of multidimensional information. A multidisciplinary and interinstitutional project is underway aimed at facilitating the integration of different imaging modalities, using methods based on computer vision, image synthesis, and graphics and visualization techniques. The objective is to develop a unified methodology with which to objectively and accurately integrate the diverse types of sparse and noisy data, which will allow interactive and animated manipulations of the fused information, and which will support interpretive decision-making at higher levels of abstraction. Emphasis is placed both on objective, quantitative representations as well as on subjective, qualitative representations of multimodal information. The methodology is presently being realized through the integration of information from coronary angiography and cardiovascular nuclear medicine imaging. Other modalities (magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray CT, etc.) are also being investigated.

20 frames (352 x 264) 33KB

72 frames (352 x 264) 85 KB

Project Members:

• Dr. Norberto F. Ezquerra
• Dr. E. V. Garcia
• John W. Peifer
• Dr. Larry Klein, MD
• C. David Cooke
• Dr. Tracy Faber
• James F. O'Brien
• Rakesh Mullick

References:

• "Three-Dimensional Cardiac Imaging,"
  L. Klein, E. Garcia, C. Cooke, J. Peifer, and N. Ezquerra. Proceedings of Cardiovascular Science and Technology Conference, 1995.

• "Visualization of Multimodality Cardiac Imagery,"
  J. W. Peifer, N. F. Ezquerra, C. D. Cooke, R. Mullick, L. Klein, M. E. Hyche, and E. V. Garcia. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 37, no. 8, pp. 744-756, August 1990.

• "Coronary Vasculature Visualization from Limited Angiographic Views,"
  J. W. Peifer, R. Mullick, N. F. Ezquerra, M. E. Hyche, E. V. Garcia, L. Klein, and C. D. Cooke. IEEE Proc. of the First Conference on Visualization in Biomedical Computing, Atlanta, GA, pp. 195-200, May 1990.

• "Visualization of Multimodality Cardiac Imagery,"
  J. Peifer, N. Ezquerra, C. Cooke, R. Mullick, L. Klein, E. Hyche, and E. Garcia. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng., August 1989.

• "Techniques and Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac Imaging,"
  E. DePuey, E. Garcia, and N. Ezquerra. Am. Journal of Roentgenology, Vol. 152, pp. 1161-1168, June 1989.
• "Quantification and Visualization of 3D Cardiac Imagery,"
  N. F. Ezquerra, E. V. Garcia, J. W. Peifer, C. D. Cooke, J. L. Klein, and J. P. Skelton. World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, San Antonio, Texas, p. 100, August 1988.

• "3D Visualization of Coronary Arterial Tree Superimposed on Myocardial Distribution,"
  J. W. Peifer, C. D. Cooke, J. P. Skelton, J. L. Klein, N. F. Ezquerra, M. Weingarten, W. S. Briggs, and E. V. Garcia. Journal of Nuc. Med., Vol. 29, No. 5, p. 810, May 1988.

• "A Method for 3D Display of Arterial Structure Superimposed on Myocardial Perfusion Distribution,"
  N. F. Ezquerra, M. Zerbi, D. Cooke, J. W. Peifer, M. S. West, G. J. Bradley, L. Jofre, J. L. Klein, H. L. Hise, and E. V. Garcia. J. Nuc. Med., Vol. 28, No.4, p.675-676, June 1986.