Bloodline: A system for the guided analysis of cardiac 4D PC-MRI data

摘要

4D PC-MRI enables the assessment of blood flow velocity vectors of one heart beat. These time dependent, three-dimensional data allow for a comprehensive analysis and contain plenty of information. So far, 4D PC-MRI is used for research purposes. One reason is a lack of standardized, easy-to-use evaluation software, which is crucial for potential application in clinical routine. In this system's paper, we present our software Bloodline, a tool combining advanced visual exploration and analysis of 4D PC-MRI data. We will put emphasis on design decisions and requirements that arose from the close collaboration with cardiologists and radiologists. The tool provides a guided data processing and evaluation workflow. The pre-processing pipeline comprises generic data import, artifact correction, vessel segmentation, surface as well as centerline extraction, cardiac cycle definition, and landmark specification. Bloodline integrates advanced visualization techniques and facilitates a dataset evaluation within ten minutes. Qualitative and quantitative flow analysis methods are provided. The focus lies on the detection and characterization of vortices, which are correlated to cardiovascular diseases. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.