3D reconstruction of the carotid artery from two views using a single centerline

Three-dimensional vascular information can facilitate carotid and cranial interventions. We have developed a system for providing 3D vascular data from biplane angiograms. These data could provide in-room quantitation and visualization of the 3D vasculature and complement pre-existing tomographic 3D vascular data when available. After biplane images are acquired, centerlines of vessels of interest are indicated. The biplane imaging geometry is refined based on the indicated centerlines, after which the correspondences along the centerlines are established using epipolar constraints. The corresponding points are triangulated using the calculated imaging geometry to generate 3D centerlines. We have installed the system at a local hospital and routinely generate 3D vessel data from clinical studies. The generated 3D data are in good agreement with the projection images and reveal the out-of-plane paths of the vessel. We believe these data will provide valuable information during interventional procedures and serve as a basis for subsequent quantitative/interactive analysis of the carotid artery.