Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a standard imaging modality for\r\nidentification of plaque formation in the coronary and peripheral arteries. Volumetric\r\nthree-dimensional (3D) IVUS visualization provides a powerful tool to overcome the\r\nlimited comprehensive information of 2D IVUS in terms of complex spatial\r\ndistribution of arterial morphology and acoustic backscatter information.\r\nConventional 3D IVUS techniques provide sub-optimal visualization of arterial\r\nmorphology or lack acoustic information concerning arterial structure due in part to\r\nlow quality of image data and the use of pixel-based IVUS image reconstruction\r\nalgorithms. In the present study, we describe a novel volumetric 3D IVUS\r\nreconstruction algorithm to utilize IVUS signal data and a shape-based nonlinear\r\ninterpolation.\r\nMethods: We developed an algorithm to convert a series of IVUS signal data into a\r\nfully volumetric 3D visualization. Intermediary slices between original 2D IVUS slices\r\nwere generated utilizing the natural cubic spline interpolation to consider the\r\nnonlinearity of both vascular structure geometry and acoustic backscatter in the\r\narterial wall. We evaluated differences in image quality between the conventional\r\npixel-based interpolation and the shape-based nonlinear interpolation methods\r\nusing both virtual vascular phantom data and in vivo IVUS data of a porcine femoral\r\nartery. Volumetric 3D IVUS images of the arterial segment reconstructed using the\r\ntwo interpolation methods were compared.\r\nResults: In vitro validation and in vivo comparative studies with the conventional\r\npixel-based interpolation method demonstrated more robustness of the shape-based\r\nnonlinear interpolation algorithm in determining intermediary 2D IVUS slices. Our\r\nshape-based nonlinear interpolation demonstrated improved volumetric 3D\r\nvisualization of the in vivo arterial structure and more realistic acoustic backscatter\r\ndistribution compared to the conventional pixel-based interpolation method.\r\nConclusions: This novel 3D IVUS visualization strategy has the potential to improve\r\nultrasound imaging of vascular structure information, particularly atheroma\r\ndetermination. Improved volumetric 3D visualization with accurate acoustic\r\nbackscatter information can help with ultrasound molecular imaging of atheroma\r\ncomponent distribution.
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