Digital Videodensitometry: Some Approaches to Radiographic Image Restoration and Analysis

Videodensitometrie methods for the evaluation of blood flow and ventricular function have been developed in the past 15 years in parallel with cinedensitometry (Heintzen 1971; Heuck 1973; Heintzen and Bursch 1978). Recently, the successful application of digital image processing techniques in angiography (Brennecke et al. 1977; Kruger et al. 1978; Ovitt et al 1978) has increased the interest in video methods since they are directly compatible with digital electronic image processing systems. Digitization of the video signal brings the flexibility and reproducibility of computerized data processing to the field of densitometric analysis. Some of the degradations introduced by the imaging system can be eliminated by digital restoration techniques in order to improve the accuracy of image analysis.