Low-dose micro-CT imaging for vascular segmentation and analysis using sparse-view acquisitions

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 1;8(7):e68449. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068449. Print 2013.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate whether reliable and accurate 3D geometrical models of the murine aortic arch can be constructed from sparse-view data in vivo micro-CT acquisitions. This would considerably reduce acquisition time and X-ray dose. In vivo contrast-enhanced micro-CT datasets were reconstructed using a conventional filtered back projection algorithm (FDK), the image space reconstruction algorithm (ISRA) and total variation regularized ISRA (ISRA-TV). The reconstructed images were then semi-automatically segmented. Segmentations of high- and low-dose protocols were compared and evaluated based on voxel classification, 3D model diameters and centerline differences. FDK reconstruction does not lead to accurate segmentation in the case of low-view acquisitions. ISRA manages accurate segmentation with 1024 or more projection views. ISRA-TV needs a minimum of 256 views. These results indicate that accurate vascular models can be obtained from micro-CT scans with 8 times less X-ray dose and acquisition time, as long as regularized iterative reconstruction is used.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Animals
  • Aorta, Thoracic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Mice
  • Radiation Dosage
  • X-Ray Microtomography / economics
  • X-Ray Microtomography / methods*
  • X-Rays

Grants and funding

Bert Vandeghinste is supported by a grant of the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Vlaanderen). Roel van Holen is a postdoctoral fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Christian Vanhove is supported by GROUP-ID consortium. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.