Computerized methodology for micro-CT and histological data inflation using an IVUS based translation map

Lambros S Athanasiou; George A Rigas; Antonis I Sakellarios; Themis P Exarchos; Panagiotis K Siogkas; Katerina K Naka; Daniele Panetta; Gualtiero Pelosi; Federico Vozzi; Lampros K Michalis; Oberdan Parodi; Dimitrios I Fotiadis

doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2015.02.018

Computerized methodology for micro-CT and histological data inflation using an IVUS based translation map

Comput Biol Med. 2015 Oct 1:65:168-76. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2015.02.018. Epub 2015 Mar 6.

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
² Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece; FORTH-Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biomedical Research, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
³ Michaelidion Cardiac Center and Dept. of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
⁴ Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, IT, 56124, Italy.
⁵ Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece; FORTH-Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biomedical Research, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece; Michaelidion Cardiac Center and Dept. of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: fotiadis@cc.uoi.gr.

PMID: 25771781
DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2015.02.018

Abstract

A framework for the inflation of micro-CT and histology data using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images, is presented. The proposed methodology consists of three steps. In the first step the micro-CT/histological images are manually co-registered with IVUS by experts using fiducial points as landmarks. In the second step the lumen of both the micro-CT/histological images and IVUS images are automatically segmented. Finally, in the third step the micro-CT/histological images are inflated by applying a transformation method on each image. The transformation method is based on the IVUS and micro-CT/histological contour difference. In order to validate the proposed image inflation methodology, plaque areas in the inflated micro-CT and histological images are compared with the ones in the IVUS images. The proposed methodology for inflating micro-CT/histological images increases the sensitivity of plaque area matching between the inflated and the IVUS images (7% and 22% in histological and micro-CT images, respectively).

Keywords: Histology; Image registration; Intravascular ultrasound; Micro-CT; Plaque characterization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Ultrasonography, Interventional / methods*
X-Ray Microtomography / methods*