Methodology for three-dimensional reconstruction of intravascular ultrasound images
Eric Maurincomme, Isabelle E. Magnin, Gérard Finet, Robert Goutte · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1992
Intravascular ultrasound imaging is a new method for obtaining high resolution images of sections of the arterial wall. It is particularly interesting for detecting features of vascular pathology that are inaccessible by other conventional techniques. We propose a methodology for acquiring image sequences, that allows us to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the vessels. The various positions of the catheter within the artery lead to geometric distortions of the ultrasound image. First, we have observed, analyzed, and interpreted the most specific reasons for intravascular image artefacts, using calibrated phantoms. Second, sequences of in- vitro pathological segments are acquired. Some pre-filtering methods are tested, in order to ease the segmentation step. Finally, the corresponding 3-D image is reconstructed and visualized, using various volume rendering techniques.