Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Validation of a raw data-based synchronization signal (kymogram) for phase-correlated cardiac image reconstruction

  • Physics
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Phase-correlated reconstruction is commonly used in computed tomography (CT)-based cardiac imaging. Alternatively to the commonly used ECG, the raw data-based kymogram function can be used as a synchronization signal. We used raw data of 100 consecutive patient exams to compare the performance of kymogram function to the ECG signal. For objective validation the correlation of the ECG and the kymogram was assessed. Additionally, we performed a double-blinded comparison of ECG-based and kymogram-based phase-correlated images. The two synchronization signals showed good correlation indicated by a mean difference in the detected heart rate of negligible 0.2 bpm. The mean image quality score was 2.0 points for kymogram-correlated images and 2.3 points for ECG-correlated images, respectively (3: best; 0: worst). The kymogram and the ECG provided images adequate for diagnosis for 93 and 97 patients, respectively. For 50% of the datasets the kymogram provided an equivalent or even higher image quality compared with the ECG signal. We conclude that an acceptable image quality can be assured in most cases by the kymogram. Improvements of image quality by the kymogram function were observed in a noticeable number of cases. The kymogram can serve as a backup solution when an ECG is not available or lacking in quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kachelrieß M, Kalender WA (1998) Electrocardiogram-correlated image reconstruction from subsecond spiral computed tomography scans of the heart. Med Phys 25(12):2417–2431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kachelrieß M, Ulzheimer S, Kalender WA (2000) ECG-correlated image reconstruction from subsecond multi-slice spiral CT scans of the heart. Med Phys 27(8):1881–1902

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Taguchi K, Anno H (2000) High temporal resolution for multislice helical computed tomography. Med Phys 27(5):861–872

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Flohr T, Prokop M, Becker C, Schoepf UJ, Kopp AF, White RD, Schaller S, Ohnesorge B (2002) A retrospectively ECG-gated multislice spiral CT scan and reconstruction technique with supression of heart pulsation artifacts for cardio-thoratic imaging with extended volume coverage. Eur Radiol 12(6):1497–1503

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Seibert JA, Lantz MT, Brock J (1989) Internal densitometric gating for digital subtraction angiography. Invest Radiol 24(5):350–360

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Willi A, Kalender WA, Kachelrieß M (1999) Computertomograph mit objektbezogener Bewegungsartefaktreduktion und Extraktion der Objektbewegungsinformation (Kymogramm). European Patent Office, Patent pending, Patent No.: 99111708.6–1522

  7. Kachelrieß M, Sennst DA, Maxlmoser W, Kalender WA (2002) Kymogram detection and kymogram-correlated image reconstruction from subsecond spiral computed tomography scans of the heart. Med Phys 29(7):1489–1503

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bruder H, Maguet E, Stierstorfer K, Flohr T (2003) Cardiac spiral imaging in Computed Tomography without ECG using complementary projections for motion detection. Proc SPIE 5032:1798–1809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Manzke R, Köhler T, Nielsen T, Hawkes D, Grass M (2004) Automatic phase determination for retrospectively gated cardiac CT. Med Phys 31(12):3345–3362

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ertel D, Kachelrieß M, Pflederer T, Achenbach S, Lapp RM, Nagel M, Kalender WA (2006) Rawdata-based detection of the optimal reconstruction phase in ECG-gated cardiac image reconstruction. Proc MICCAI LNCS 4191:348–355

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ertel D (2007) Kymogram-based cardiac CT image reconstruction. In: Kalender WA (ed) Berichte aus dem Institut für Medizinische Physik. Shaker, Aachen

  12. Kachelrieß M, Schaller S, Kalender WA (2000) Advanced single-slice rebinning in cone-beam spiral CT. Med Phys 27(4):754–772

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Schaller S, Stierstorfer K, Bruder H, Kachelrieß M, Flohr T (2001) Novel approximate approach for high-quality image reconstruction in helical cone-beam CT at arbitrary pitch. Proc SPIE 4322:113–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Flohr T, Stierstorfer K, Bruder H, Simon J, Polacin A, Schaller S (2003) Image reconstruction and image quality evaluation for a 16-slice CT scanner. Med Phys 30(5):832–845

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Landis JR, Koch GG (1977) An application of hierarchical kappa-type statistics in the assessment of majority agreement among multiple observers. Biometrics 33(2):363–374

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hoffmann MHK, Shi H, Manzke R, Schmid FT, de Vries L, Grass M, Brambs HJ, Aschoff AJ (2005) Noninvasive coronary angiography with 16-detector row CT: effect of heart rate. Radiology 234(1):86–97

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the CT division of Siemens Medical Solutions for financial support of this study. We also wish to acknowledge Katja Scholz for her assistance with the statistical analysis tools.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medical Physics (IMP), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestraße 91, 91052, Erlangen, Germany

    Dirk Ertel, Marc Kachelrieß & Willi A. Kalender

  2. Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Tobias Pflederer & Stephan Achenbach

  3. Multimedia Communications and Signal Processing, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Peter Steffen

Authors
  1. Dirk Ertel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tobias Pflederer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephan Achenbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marc Kachelrieß
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peter Steffen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Willi A. Kalender
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Willi A. Kalender.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ertel, D., Pflederer, T., Achenbach, S. et al. Validation of a raw data-based synchronization signal (kymogram) for phase-correlated cardiac image reconstruction. Eur Radiol 18, 253–262 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0752-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0752-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation