IVUS Image Processing Methodologies

Abstract

Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) is an invasive imaging technique that allows detailed visualization of the arterial lumen and outer vessel wall and permits characterization of the type of the plaque and quantification of its burden. Traditionally IVUS processing was performed manually. However, it became apparent that manual segmentation is time consuming, and the obtained results depend on the experience of the operators. To overcome these limitations and enhance the role of IVUS in clinical practice and research, several (semi-) automated methods have been developed that expedite detection of the regions of interest and/or characterization of the type of the plaque. In this chapter we review the available IVUS processing techniques and present the developed commercial solutions for IVUS segmentation and plaque characterization.