Adaptive Bolus Chasing Computed Tomography Angiography: Control Scheme and Experimental Results

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Control Systems Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate timing of contrast agent delivery is crucial for optimal computed tomography (CT) angiography.
• Current clinical standards use constant-speed table movement, which may not precisely match dynamic contrast agent flow.
• Real-time synchronization between vascular structures and CT imaging is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel adaptive bolus-chasing control scheme.
• To synchronize the peak concentration of an injected contrast agent (bolus) with the imaging aperture of a CT scanner.
• To enhance the performance of CT angiography compared to existing methods.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new adaptive bolus-chasing control algorithm.
• Theoretical evaluation of the proposed control scheme.
• Experimental validation using a modified Siemens SOMATOM Volume Zoom CT scanner.
• Testing with realistic bolus dynamics, real-time imaging, and physical vasculature phantoms.

Main Results:

• The adaptive control scheme successfully tracked bolus propagation in real-time.
• Experimental data demonstrated effective synchronization of the bolus peak with the CT imaging aperture.
• The proposed method significantly outperformed the conventional constant-speed control scheme.

Conclusions:

• The novel adaptive bolus-chasing control scheme offers superior performance for CT angiography.
• This approach provides precise tracking of contrast agent dynamics, improving image quality and diagnostic potential.
• The findings suggest a new standard for dynamic contrast-enhanced CT imaging.