Multiresolution, model‐based segmentation of MR angiograms
Paul Eugene Summers, Abhir H. Bhalerao, David J. Hawkes · Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging · 1997
During the last decade, the quality of MR angiograms has risen substantially and their clinical utility has been demonstrated progressively. This acceptance has created a need for tools with which to summarize and display the information available. We have used a model-based segmentation technique to extract vascular morphology and local flow parameters from phase contrast MR angiograms. A multiresolution data structure is used as the basis of recursive decision-making to identify regions of blood flow. The resulting data representation allows more efficient data handling in subsequent processing and visualization and is directly applicable to the creation of a connected graph model of vascular regions. We describe this flow feature extraction algorithm and demonstrate the utility of the results.