Extracting geometric features of aortic valve annulus motion from dynamic MRI for guiding interventions

Abstract

Transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI) has emerged as a prominent approach for treating aortic stenosis. Success of such implants depends upon the accurate assessment of the geometric features such as the diameter, center and orientation of the aortic valve annulus (AVA). In this paper, we present a method for extracting these geometric features from magnetic resonance images (MRI). The method is based on finding an optimal fit for a circular ring mimicking AVA in the aortic root. Moreover, the presented approach provides dynamic tracking of the AVA in CINE MR images. This approach can be used for preoperative planning of prosthetic valve implantation, as well as for the emerging MRI guided manual, or with robot-assisted, annuloplasty.