PERFEX:
An Expert System
for Interpreting 3D
Myocardial Perfusion
Rakesh Mullick
Norberto F. Ezquerra
C. David Cooke
Elizabeth G. Krawczynska
Ernest V. Garcia
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Abstract
Interpreting three-dimensional (3D) data is generally
recognized as an ill-defined and information-intensive
task. The task becomes increasingly difficult in the
context of medical diagnostic imagery, wherein the
visual information must be interpreted in conjunction
with other, nonvisual information. A novel approach is
presented to perform the interpretation of such
multidimensional information, concentrating on a
medically important application: the interpretation of
ID tomograms of myocardial perfusion distribution. The
overall goal is to assist in the diagnosis of coronary
artery disease. The approach employs knowledge-based
methods to process and map the 3D visual information
into symbolic representations, which are subsequently
used to infer structure (anatomy) from function
(physiology), as well as to interpret the temporal
effects of perfusion redistribution, and assess the
extent and severity of cardiovascular disease both
quantitatively and qualitatively. The knowledge-based
system presents the resulting diagnostic recommendations
in both visual and textual forms in an interactive
framework, thereby enhancing overall utility. This
paper presents the methodology underlying this
approach, including the implementation and testing of
this system within an actual clinical environment.
Expert Systems With Application,
Vol. 6, pp. 459-468, 1993,
© 1993 Pergamon Press Ltd.
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