LUMEN CENTERLINE DETECTION IN COMPLEX CORONARY ANGIOGRAMS

We have developed a method for lumen centerline detection in individua l coronary segments that is based on simultaneous detection of the app roximate positions of the left and right coronary borders. This approa ch emulates that of a clinician who visually identifies the lumen cent erline as the midline between the simultaneously-determined left and r ight borders of the vessel segment of interest. Our lumen centerline d etection algorithm and two conventional centerline detection methods w ere compared to carefully-defined observer-identified centerlines in 8 9 complex coronary images. Computer-detected and observer-defined cent erlines were objectively compared using five indices of centerline pos ition and orientation. The quality of centerlines obtained with the ne w simultaneous border identification approach and the two conventional centerline detection methods was also subjectively assessed by an exp erienced cardiologist who was unaware of the analysis method. Our cent erline detection method yielded accurate centerlines in the 89 complex images. Moreover, our method outperformed the two conventional method s as judged by all five objective parameters (p < 0.001 for each param eter) and by the subjective assessment of centerline quality (p < 0.00 1). Automated detection of lumen centerlines based on simultaneous det ection of both coronary borders provides improved accuracy in complex coronary arteriograms.