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ADVANCED IMAGE ANALYSIS

Advanced Image Analysis Can Provide


Better Risk Assessment In Hardening Of
The Arteries
ScienceDaily (June 17, 2009) — Ultrasound examination of the carotid artery is a
patient-friendly and inexpensive method for assessing atherosclerosis and thereby
predicting the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Peter Holdfeldt, who recently defended
his doctoral thesis at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, has developed new
analytical methods for ultrasound images that can provide more reliable and more exact
assessments of atherosclerosis.

Peter Holdfeldt, who recently defended his doctoral thesis at Chalmers University of
Technology in Sweden, has developed new analytical methods for ultrasound images
that can provide more reliable and more exact assessments of atherosclerosis. (Credit:
Chalmers University of Technology)

Cardiovascular diseases brought on by hardening of the arteries are the most common
cause of death in the Western world. Hardening of the arteries means a thickening of the
walls of blood vessels and the appearance of so-called atherosclerotic plaque, which
consist of stored fat, among other things.
With the aid of ultrasound images, it is possible to find individuals who are at risk by
measuring the thickness of the walls in the carotid artery. Another ultrasound method is
to analyze whether the character of various types of plaque can predict the risk of
cardiovascular diseases.
Peter Holdfeldt has developed new and more refined methods of image analysis that are
based on dynamic programming.
"Measurements of the thickness of the walls of the carotid require the detection of
boundaries between different layers of tissue in the blood vessel," he says. "Previously
dynamic programming has been used to automatically detect boundaries in still images.
But the new method uses dynamic programming for detection in image sequences of
one and the same blood vessel instead."
Examining an entire image sequence instead of a single image provides a more correct
result, since it is possible to make use of the similarity between the images in the
sequence - a boundary ought to be found in roughly the same place in two images in a
row. The method comprises two steps. First, several alternative locations of the
boundary are determined in each image. Then one of the alternatives is selected from
each image, and it is in this step that the program factors in the movement of boundaries
between images.
"This has proven to provide more correct detections of boundaries than what you can
get from a program that detects boundaries on the basis of a single image," says Peter
Holdfeldt.
He has also developed a method to automatically classify atherosclerotic plaque. This
plaque can burst and form blood clots that cause heart attacks or strokes. In ultrasound
images it is possible with the naked eye to see the type of plaque that often leads to
stroke, but such an assessment is subjective and is influenced by disturbances in the
image. The new automatic method entails a technological advancement of ultrasound
technology that can lead to more objective and quantifiable analysis.
Peter Holdfeldt's research has been part of a collaborative project between Chalmers
and the Wallenberg Laboratory for Cardiovascular Research at Sahlgrenska University
Hospital in Gothenburg. Björn Fagerberg, a physician and professor of cardiovascular
research, is responsible for the clinical evaluation of the new methods together with the
doctoral candidate Ulrica Prahl.
"We're now busy testing the new automatic method for plaque classification in patient
groups," he says. "In its final form it should be an excellent aid in identifying high-risk
patients."
Measurement of the carotid artery is already in use today in cardiovascular research.
There are other methods of measurement, but they are not as well validated as the
method that has been developed by the researchers at Chalmers and Sahlgrenska.
"Dynamic image analysis is an exciting new method that will no doubt offer great
potential for elaboration," says Björn Fagerberg. "The advantage of using ultrasound is
that is practical, inexpensive, and patient-friendly."
The dissertation "Dynamic Programming for Ultrasound Image Analysis of
Atherosclerosis" was defended on May 15.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or
treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its
staff.
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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from
materials provided by The Swedish Research Council, via AlphaGalileo.
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The Swedish Research Council (2009, June 17). Advanced Image Analysis Can Provide
Better Risk Assessment In Hardening Of The Arteries. ScienceDaily. Retrieved
December 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2009/06/090605112331.htm
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