A comprehensive method for geometrically correct 3-D reconstruction of coronary arteries by fusion of intravascular ultrasound and biplane angiography

In the rapidly evolving field of intravascular ultrasound (NUS), assessment of spatial structures still lacks a geometrically correct 3-D reconstruction. The IVUS frames are usually stacked up to form a straight vessel, neglecting curvature and the axial twisting of the catheter during the pullback. Quantification of this simplified data inevitably results in significantly distorted values. In this paper, we present a comprehensive method that combines the knowledge about vessel cross-sections obtained from IVUS with the knowledge about the vessel geometry derived from biplane angiography. The approach has been extensively validated in computer simulations as well as in phantoms and cadaveric pig hearts. An in-vivo application is under way. The algorithms showed good accuracy in determining the location and relative twist even in complex catheter paths and under noisy conditions.