Feasibility study of 3D cardiac imaging using a portable conebeam scanner

While the Medtronic O-arm was developed for image-guidance applications during orthopedic procedures, it has potential to assist in cardiac surgical and electrophysiological applications; the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a mobile conebeam imaging system (O-arm) for gated cardiac imaging. In an in vivo study (two pigs), projection data from four independently acquired breath-held scans were combined to obtain cardiac gated 3D images. Projection images were acquired during the infusion of contrast agent and while tracking the ECG. Both standard and high-definition modes of the O-arm were evaluated. Projection data were retrospectively combined to generate images corresponding to systole and diastole; different acceptance windows were investigated. The contrast to noise ratio (CNR) between blood and myocardium was compared for the different gating strategies. Gated cardiac images were successfully reconstructed with as few as two scans combined (CNR = 2.5) and a window of 200 ms. Improved image quality was achieved when selecting views based on the minimum time from the selected phase point in the cardiac cycle, rather than a fixed window; in this case the effective temporal window increased to 475 ms for two scans. The O-arm has the potential to be used as a mobile cardiac imaging system, capable of three-dimensional imaging.