Directional analysis of cardiac motion field from gated fluorodeoxyglucose PET images using the Discrete Helmholtz Hodge Decomposition

J A Sims; M C Giorgi; M A Oliveira; J C Meneghetti; M A Gutierrez

doi:10.1016/j.compmedimag.2017.06.004

Directional analysis of cardiac motion field from gated fluorodeoxyglucose PET images using the Discrete Helmholtz Hodge Decomposition

Comput Med Imaging Graph. 2018 Apr:65:69-78. doi: 10.1016/j.compmedimag.2017.06.004. Epub 2017 Jun 29.

Authors

J A Sims¹, M C Giorgi², M A Oliveira², J C Meneghetti², M A Gutierrez³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: john.sims@incor.usp.br.
² Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Informatics Division, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: marco.gutierrez@incor.usp.br.

PMID: 28688629
DOI: 10.1016/j.compmedimag.2017.06.004

Abstract

Objectives: Extract directional information related to left ventricular (LV) rotation and torsion from a 4D PET motion field using the Discrete Helmholtz Hodge Decomposition (DHHD).

Materials and methods: Synthetic motion fields were created using superposition of rotational and radial field components and cardiac fields produced using optical flow from a control and patient image. These were decomposed into curl-free (CF) and divergence-free (DF) components using the DHHD.

Results: Synthetic radial components were present in the CF field and synthetic rotational components in the DF field, with each retaining its center position, direction of motion and diameter after decomposition. Direction of rotation at apex and base for the control field were in opposite directions during systole, reversing during diastole. The patient DF field had little overall rotation with several small rotators.

Conclusions: The decomposition of the LV motion field into directional components could assist quantification of LV torsion, but further processing stages seem necessary.

Keywords: Cardiac motion field analysis; Discrete Helmholtz Hodge Decomposition; Optical flow; Positron emission tomography.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Heart Ventricles*
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Movement / physiology*
Positron-Emission Tomography*