Capabilities of a Real-Time Digital Video Processor

Advances in high speed video digitizing and digital processing hardware combined with stored microprocessor programs has led to the development of compact, portable and relatively low cost equipment capable of performing a number of useful realtime operations on fluoroscopic video. Through its ability to compute, store and display difference images as well as perform electronic image integration in real-time the equipment described in this paper can aid in diagnosis of diseased blood-vascular systems. Perhaps more importantly, the rapid acquisition of quantitative high resolution imagery combined with subsequent digital image analysis provides the basis for quantitative near realtime presentation of quantitative parameters such as ejection fraction, wall motion and blood velocity. In addition to a description of the design and operation of the unit, preliminary experimental data are presented showing its performance capabilities in conjunction with medical fluoroscopic signals. Extensions of this technology to additional fluoroscopic image measurements are pointed out.