Rationale and objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a method to assist the cardiologist in planning an interventional procedure while the patient is on the catheterization table.
Materials and methods: A rotational single plane x-ray system is used to acquire images while rapidly rotating the C-arm around the patient. Based on electrocardiogram-selected projections, both a volumetric cone-beam reconstruction of the coronary tree as well as a three-dimensional model of the vessel segment of interest is generated. This information is used to compute the appropriateness of a range of different viewing angles with respect to the overlap and foreshortening of the vessel segment of interest during the cardiac cycle which results in an interactive optimal view map.
Results: The proposed method has been tested on patient data and several phantom objects. The results show that both an accurate 3D model of a vessel segment of interest and its associated optimal view map can be generated to predict an appropriate gantry angle for subsequent image acquisition.
Conclusion: The method provides an appropriate and feasible tool to assist interventional cardiologists in planning a coronary intervention while the patient is still on the catheterization table following diagnostic coronary angiography.