Three-dimensional segmentation of luminal and adventitial borders in serial intravascular ultrasound images

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provides exact anatomy of arteries, allowin g accurate quantitative analysis. Automated segmentation of IVUS images is a prerequisite for routine quantitative analyses. We present a new three-di mensional (3D) segmentation technique, called active surface segmentation, which detects luminal and adventitial borders in IVUS pullback examinations of coronary arteries. The technique was validated against expert tracings by computing correlation coefficients (range 0.83-0.97) and William's index values (range 0.37-0.66), The technique was statistically accurate, robust to image artifacts, and capable of segmenting a large number of images rap idly. Active surface segmentation enabled geometrically accurate 3D reconst ruction and visualization of coronary arteries and volumetric measurements. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.