Method for evaluating blush in myocardial tissue

摘要

Vessel perfusion and myocardial blush are determined by analyzing fluorescence signals obtained in a static region-of-interest (ROI) in a collection of fluorescence images of myocardial tissue. The blush value is determined from the total intensity of the intensity values of image elements located within the smallest contiguous range of image intensity values containing a predefined fraction of a total measured image intensity of all image elements within the ROI. Vessel (arterial) peak intensity is determined from image elements located within the ROI that have the smallest contiguous range of highest measured image intensity values and contain a predefined fraction of a total measured image intensity of all image elements within the ROI. Cardiac function can be established by comparing the time differential between the time of peak intensity in a blood vessel and that in a region of neighboring myocardial tissue both pre and post procedure.

主权项

1. A method for determining perfusion in myocardial tissue using fluorescence imaging, comprising the steps of:
defining a static region of interest (ROI) in an image of the myocardial tissue; measuring fluorescence intensity values of image elements (pixels) located within the ROI; and determining a blush value from an average of the intensity values of image elements located within a smallest contiguous range of image intensity values containing a first predefined fraction of a total measured image intensity of all image elements within the ROI.