M. Gavrilescu and V. Manta (Romania)
Information Visualization, Medical Imaging, Cine Data, Cardiac Parameters
In this paper we present a means of visually representing information associated with the state and functionality of the myocardium in the left ventricular chamber of the heart. Starting from segmentation contours which outline the endocardium and the epicardium for several slices and over several phases of motion and stress levels, we construct two surfaces which approximate the shape of the left ventricular wall. Several parameters, such as the thickness, thickening or motion speed of the wall are computed from the contours, and the resulting values are represented on the outer, epicardium surface using methods such as color encoding or so-called “stress bands”. The distribution of colors on the outer surface is analogous to the distribution of parameter values along the left ventricular wall. A visual inspection of said colors, depending on the particularities of the analyzed data set, may render visible anomalies or dyssynchronies, or otherwise offer relevant indications on the behavior of the wall across multiple phases of the contraction-dilation cycle and for several levels of strain. The approaches described are meant to provide an alternative and intuitive visual aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
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