THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION AND DISPLAY OF THE HEART, LUNGS AND CIRCULATION BY MULTIPLANAR X-RAY SCANNING VIDEODENSITOMETRY.

The paper describes a special high performance computer-based roentgen fluoroscopic image-intensifier closed-circuit television system, plus videotape and video disc simultaneous multiplanar image and multichannel analog data recording assemblies which have made it possible to obtain dynamic anatomic and synchronous multiparameter physiologic functional data in electronic form. Moreover, the simultaneous development of computer-controlled, on-line data acquisition and analysis systems (especially a high-speed, high-fidelity analog-to-digital converter-computer interface system) has made it possible to capture and input these very high data rates and large volumes of information into the computer for application of continuously evolving image enhancement, subtraction, reconstruction and operator-interactive dynamic display techniques. In particular, this system has made possible development of techniques for determination of the dynamic spatial distribution of roentgen densities in the intact thorax, from which high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of the dynamic changes in regional shape, dimensions and perfusion of the heart and lungs can be obtained.