Image intensifier-based intravenous volume tomographic angiography imaging: Animal studies

An image intensifier-based rotational volume tomographic digital angiography (VTDA) imaging system has been constructed. The system consists of an x-ray tube and an image intensifier that are separately mounted on a gantry. This system uses an image intensifier coupled to a charge coupled device (CCD) camera as a two-dimensional (2D) detector so that a set of 2D projections can be acquired for a direct three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. This paper presents the results of the preliminary animal studies using the volume tomographic angiography system with intravenous (IV) injections. The results from the animal studies demonstrate that VTDA only needs a single IV injection of contrast and volume scanning to provide adequate image contrast and resolution for quantitative assessment of vascular anatomy.