Volumetric quantification of coronary arteries reconstructed by fusion between intravascular ultrasound and biplane angiography

Fusion of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and biplane X-ray angiography leads to a geometrically correct representation of coronary vessels. A comparison of three volume quantification methods - polytope, Watanabe, and Simpson-based - is reported. The three methods allow local estimation of plaque accumulation. To determine volumetric indices, space between the lumen and adventitia surfaces is subdivided and each of the volume elements considered separately to achieve volume quantification. Polyhedral volume elements are employed and their volumes estimated by each of the proposed approaches. The volume quantification methods were validated in 92 computer-generated shapes and tested on routine patient data. All three methods were found highly accurate. By comparing the volume quantification errors, the polytope and Watanabe methods were found statistically significantly more accurate than the Simpson-based approach.