A fast image registration technique for motion artifact reduction in DSA

In digital subtraction angiography (DSA), patient motion is the primary cause of image quality degradation. The motion correction algorithms developed so far were not sufficiently fast so as to be suitable for integration in a clinical setting. In this paper we describe a new image registration technique for motion artifact reduction in DSA which is fully automatic, effective, and computationally very efficient. Using an image content driven control point selection mechanism and modern graphics hardware for image warping, the algorithm requires less than one second per DSA image (on average). Preliminary experiments on cerebral DSA images illustrate the applicability of the technique.