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With the introduction of helical, multi-detector computed tomography (CT) scanners having sub-second scanning speeds, clinicians are currently investigating the role of CT in cardiac imaging. In this paper, we describe a four-dimensional (4D) x-ray attenuation model of a human heart and the use of this model to assess the capabilities of both hardware and software algorithms for cardiac imaging. We developed a model of the human thorax, composed of several analytical structures, and a model of the human heart, constructed from several elliptical surfaces. A model for each coronary vessel consists of a torus placed at a suitable location on the heart's surface. The motion of the heart during the cardiac cycle was implemented by applying transformational operators to each surface composing the heart. We used the 4D model of the heart to generate forward projection data, which then became input into a model of a CT imaging system. The use of the model to predict image quality is demonstrated by varying both the reconstruction algorithm (sector-based, half-scan) and CT system parameters (gantry speed, spatial resolution). The mathematical model of the human heart, while having limitations, provides a means to rapidly evaluate new reconstruction algorithms and CT system designs for cardiac imaging. |
