Research On Detection And Motion Analysis Of Coronary Arteries Based On T-snake

In the modern society, coronary artery diseases (CAD) have been one of main causes of death threatening human beings. X-ray angiography is regarded as one of efficient techniques for the assessment of CAD. Angiogram sequences recorded configuration and dynamics of coronary arteries in cardiac cycles. Clinically useful information about coronary arterial vessels can be acquired through detecting and tracking moving arteries, which is importance in clinical diagnosis. The main purpose of this dissertation is to extract 2D dynamic information of coronary artery from X-ray angiograms, where image analysis techniques and topology adaptive snakes based method are used. The research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation entitled"Research on 3D Shape and Motion Measurement of Coronary Artery Based on X-ray Angiograms and intravascular ultrasound"(No. 30500129).Major work of this dissertation can be included in four parts as follows:1. Research of coronary artery disease and X-ray coronary angiographyThe characteristics of coronary disease and X-ray angiography are analyzed. The major work and purpose of the tracking of arterial vessels based on angiogram sequences are then presented.2. Reasearch of active contour modelActive contour model (snake) and some improved models are investigated. Grid decomposition, deformation, energy functions, topological flexibility, detection effect and application of topology adaptability snake model are all described in detail.3. Design of Intensive Restraint T-snake modelIntensive restraint T-snake model is proposed for X-ray coronary artery angiograms.The snake nodes are constrained to move only from one grid vertex to another along grid lines. Topological transformation of the model is implemented through vertex splitting. Topological collision is detected and eliminated automatically. New energy functions, which can drive the model to expand from the initial plan inside the vessel, are designed according to statistical feature of intensities of coronary angiograms.4. 2D motion tracking of vessels from coronary angiographic sequenceAn approach for detecting and tracking vessels from coronary angiogram...