Cardiac Components Categorization and Coronary Artery Enhancement in CT Angiography

Abstract

Coronary artery analysis is an important phase of each cardiac image processing system. Once physicians decide to check up coronary arteries and also other cardiac components in CT Angiography, it should be done precisely to give the correct information about them. In this paper, we proposed a new method for cardiac components categorization, aorta segmentation, and coronary artery enhancement from CT Angiography images. This method is very helpful for the surgeon and cardiologist to have a clear view of each components and also to visualize coronary arteries prior to coronary artery bypass graft surgery or other types of cardiac treatments. To this end, firstly we constructed a proper mask based on the Hounsfield Unit to categorize CT Angiography slices' components. Then aorta as an important component is segmented from initial slices. And finally coronary arteries are enhanced as tubular shape objects in all slices.