Visualizing Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imagery: challenges and opportunities

Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2014 Aug;115(2-3):349-58. doi: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2014.07.009. Epub 2014 Aug 2.

Abstract

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging is an essential technique for measuring regional myocardial function. However, it is a time-consuming and cognitively demanding task to interpret, identify and compare various motion characteristics based on watching CMR imagery. In this work, we focus on the problems of visualising imagery resulting from 2D myocardial tagging in CMR. In particular we provide an overview of the current state of the art of relevant visualization techniques, and a discussion on why the problem is difficult from a perceptual perspective. Finally, we introduce a proof-of-concept multilayered visualization user interface for visualizing CMR data using multiple derived attributes encoded into multivariate glyphs. An initial evaluation of the system by clinicians suggested a great potential for this visualisation technology to become a clinical practice in the future.

Keywords: CMR; Glyph; Multifield; Spatiotemporal; Video; Visualization.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Heart / anatomy & histology*
  • Heart / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / methods*
  • Myocardial Contraction / physiology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Spatio-Temporal Analysis
  • Subtraction Technique
  • User-Computer Interface