Segmentation and quantification for intravascular optical coherence tomography images

摘要

A system and related methods for automatic or semi-automatic segmentation and quantification of blood vessel structure and physiology, including segmentation and quantification of lumen, guide wire, vessel wall, calcified plaques, fibrous caps, macrophages, metallic and bioresorbable stents are described, and including visualization of results. Calcified plaque segmentation can be used to estimate the distribution of superficial calcification and inform strategies stenting. Volumetric segmentation and quantification of fibrous caps can provide more comprehensive information of the mechanisms behind plaque rupture. Quantification of macrophages can aid diagnosis and prediction of unstable plaque and associated acute coronary events. Automated detection and quantification of metallic and bioresorbable stents can greatly reduce the analysis time and facilitate timely decision making for intervention procedures.

主权项

1. Computer-implemented segmentation and quantification method using an intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) system having an OCT signal emitting and receiving instrument comprising:
obtaining an OCT image set comprising one or more images of a portion of a blood vessel; segmenting a lumen portion of at least one of the one or more images; segmenting an OCT signal emitting and receiving instrument portion of the at least one of the one or more images; segmenting a vessel wall portion of the at least one of the one or more images;
wherein the segmenting a vessel wall portion step comprises obtaining at least one texture mapping by processing at least one of the one or more images with at least one Gabor filter; and,determining a contour having maximum texture difference inside and outside the contour by applying active contour processing to the at least one texture mapping; obtaining an initial contour for the active contour processing from a boundary determined in the segmenting the lumen portion step; and segmenting a calcified plaque portion of the at least one of the one or more images.