Evaluation of bile reflux in nuclear imaging using optical flow with fluid mechanics

Abstract

The Cholescintigraphy scan, also known as Diisopropyl Iminodiacetic Acid(DISIDA) is a nuclear imaging procedure to evaluate the function of the gallbladder. DISIDA images are used to estimate the bile flow situation. Because bile is flowing fluid, so we based on the fluid mechanics to model that the stomach connects with the gall bladder in several typical of bile reflux status or no bile reflux, then simulate the bile flow situation by our assumption model. In dynamic image analysis, optical flow techniques are widely used to track object borders as well as evaluate the object motion field. After that we apply optical flow to the sequences of 2-D DISIDA images to quantify bile flow is presented. The method utilizes couples of consecutive frames to compute, for each pixel, the 2-D apparent velocity vector which characterizes the interframe motion. According to this vector with every couples of frames, and therefore we can initially realize the afflux of bile reflux. Finally, we compare the optical flow result with the hydromechanics model, and hope to find the standard to estimate the degree of accuracy and reliability.