Optimal sampling interval and edge detection algorithm for measurement of blood vessel diameter on a cineangiogram.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The authors studied the effects of image magnification and the type of edge detection filter on the precision of measuring blood vessel diameters on coronary angiograms.

METHOD

A blood vessel phantom containing five channels of various diameters filled with contrast medium was filmed. The magnifications examined were x4, x10, and x20, and the edge detection filters used were the first derivative, second derivative, composite, and entropy filters. The regression line y = a+bx was introduced, where x represents the nominal diameter and y the diameter measured by the edge-detection filters. Determination criteria were the offset, slope, and residual variance from the regression equation.

RESULTS

The best value among three criteria was obtained with a magnification of x10 or x20. The entropy filter gave the best value of slope and residual variance. The composite filter gave the best value of offset.

CONCLUSION

The most precise measurement is obtained when the entropy filter and a magnification of x10 or x20 are applied.