Clinical study on the coronary flow measurements method based on coronarographic image sequences

Many studies concerning evaluation of the artery blood flow based on coronarographic images have been made. Application of the indicator-dilution technique allows calculation of absolute values of the blood flow in the coronary arteries based on the densitometric analysis of coronarographic image sequences under some specific conditions imposed on injections of the contrast medium and digital image sequences registration. This method is based on densitometric measurements carried out in two sequences of images of the same artery. The first sequence is recorded during the routine injection of the contrast, and the other is recorded during the slow test injection of the contrast with a reduced amount of the indicator. The method was tested on coronarographic images obtained in routine examinations in two groups of control patients. The comparative analysis of 18 patients indicates that there exists a moderate consistency between the results of this method and the clinical assessment. The results of our studies are strongly dependent on the accuracy of the measurements and the method of recording. Proposed method, tested on the model of artery and measurements obtained from coronarographic examinations of control groups of patients, provides grounds for future studies.