Optimal myocardial boundary estimation for MR cardio perfusion measurements using sensitivity analysis

Recent advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging allow fast recording of contrast enhanced myocardial perfusion scans. MR perfusion scans are made by recording, during a period of 20-40 seconds a number of short-axis slices through the myocardium. For perfusion analysis, the myocardial boundaries must be traced, dividing the heart into the left and right ventricle blood volumes and the myocardium of the left ventricle. Extreme care must be taken not to include any part of the left or right ventricle blood volumes in the myocardium segment, because this has a significant effect on the perfusion analysis. On the other hand, for accurate estimation of the perfusion parameters, all available myocardium area in the image is required. In this paper a method is proposed to correct for any inclusion of left and right ventricle and optimally place the myocardial contours.