Centralized Digital Picture Processing System For Cardiac Imaging

We have designed and implemented a system for the centralized acquisition, display, analysis and archiving of diagnostic cardiac medical images from x-ray fluoroscopy, two-dimensional ultrasonography and nuclear scintigraphy. Centered around a DLC PUP 11/34 minicomputer with an existing gamma camera interface, we have added a closed-circuit television system with a 256x512x8-bit video digitizer and image display controller to interface the video output of the fluoroscope and ultrasonograph. A video disc recorder (under computer control) is used as an input and playback buffer, allowing for data transfer to and from digital disc drives. Thus, real-time video digitization is possible for up to ten seconds of incoming RS-170-compatible video. The digitizer separates video fields at real-time into two 256x256x8-bit refresh memories, providing 60Hz temporal resolution. Generally, however, we choose to record at non-real-time rates to encompass more than ten seconds. In addition to I/O software controlling data acquisition ana playback, we have developed a versatile data analysis package (offering such capabilities as image algebra, Fourier analysis and convolutional filtering), as well as interactive data reduction subroutines (such as region-of-interest definition, profile plotting and regional extraction of statistical and probabilistic information). We have found the system useful for standard cardiac image analysis, for simultaneous display of images from the three modalities, for picture storage and retrieval, and as a research tool. future plans include the addition of intelligent terminals at each modality and progression to a 32-bit machine for the central processor.