ANGUS: a new approach to three-dimensional reconstruction of coronary vessels by combined use of angiography and intravascular ultrasound

Current three dimensional (3D) vessel reconstruction using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) pull back is limited by the lack of information on the real vessel curvatures, because the movement of the catheter is assumed to proceed along a straight path. To overcome this limitation a method (ANGUS) has been developed to combine coronary angiography with data obtained by IVUS. The IVUS data represent a cylindrical stack of cross-sections. A least-square-fit approximation is used to reconstruct the 3D path of the catheter axis from two biplane X-ray images, after which the stack of IVUS contours is wrapped around this 3D catheter centerline. In order to establish the correct rotational position of the stack around the centerline, use is made of 'landmark' which are visible in angiograms, as well as in a simulation of these angiograms derived from the reconstructed 3D contour. The combination of ANGiography and intravascular UltraSound (ANGUS) is promising and provides a unique method of three-dimensional reconstruction of coronary geometry.