Vessel motion measurement in real-time using movement detection at multiple regions of interest.

A vessel motion detection algorithm has been implemented for the measurement of multiple lymphatic chamber diameters via pre-recorded VHS tape (PAL, 25 Hz). The method differs significantly from previous attempts based on edge-detection, in that it employs center of mass of pixel brightness in the vessel wall based on a Kalman filtered image subtracted from a Kalman filtered background. The operation of the algorithm confirms that it is able to detect accurately the full constriction-relaxation cycle of the vessel and produce data that meets high standards of tolerance. The procedure is well suited for real-time measurement of lymphatic and blood vessel constrictions in vitro or in vivo at multiple sites so long as the object under measurement is sufficiently differentiated from its background.