Three-dimensional reconstruction of the coronary arteries using a priori knowledge.

A method for 3D reconstruction of the coronary arteries from two radiographic images is presented. A novel technique for matching image structures is the main contribution of the work. After a comprehensive study of the knowledge required to approach this problem, an automatic method, which includes both numeric and symbolic procedures to solve geometric ambiguities, is developed. In the proposed method, all possible (virtual) reconstructions are first obtained. Their validity is evaluated by means of a priori knowledge about the 3D object and its projections. From the set of chosen possible solutions, the most likely solution is selected. The method is tested using real images and is implemented in a platform that allows further clinical validation.