Visualization & Exploration of Blood Flow in Aneurysms

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Due to the current advances in the field of medical imaging and an increase of MR and CT brain scans as part of diagnostic procedures, the number of cerebral aneurysm findings is rising. These dilated parts of cerebral arteries exhibit a high risk of rupture, which can lead to internal bleedings with fatal consequences for the patient (mortality rate: up to 60%). To reduce the risk for the patient most of the interventions are performed minimal invasive by filling the aneurysm with small metal coils (Coiling) and stabilizing them with a tubular metal mesh (Stent) if necessary. Since the intervention itself involves the risk of causing an internal bleeding, a detailed risk estimation and a deeper insight into the blood flow dynamics, that influence the development of cerebral aneurysms, is crucial. In current research computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is the common approach to gain a better understanding for the dynamic characteristics of the internal blood flow.

The result of the CFD simulation is a multidimensional and often time dependent dataset. Our aim is to develop an application-specific pipeline to make this complex data accessible to medical researchers. Besides different approaches to visualize the flow characteristics this pipeline also needs to contain the analysis of morphological features and their relation to the flow characteristics. One application of this pipeline is the creation of expressive comparison visualizations in order to gain insight into the development of an aneurysm over time or into the affect a change in the incoming blood-flow has onto the whole dynamic system. Due to the interdisciplinary character of this research area we are working together with Institute of Neuroradiology (medical experts), the Institute of Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics (CFD simulation), the Image Processing Workgroup (segmentation), the Institute of Electronics, Signal Processing and Communication Technology (evaluation of the CFD simulation). In October 2008 this cooperation formed the base for the Mobestan project supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

A short summarization of our current field of research:

  • Semi-/automatic extraction and visualization of morphological information and flow features
  • Guided exploration and overview visualization of complex flow datasets
  • Focus & Context visualization of cerebral vasculature
  • Combined (internal flow data – surface morphology) and comparing (change over time, after stent application, etc.) visualizations

For Interested Students

If you are interested in working in this versatile and challenging topic feel free to visit our student offers subpage or contact us directly (see below). We offer “Hiwi”-jobs as well as “Laborpraktika / IT-Projekte” and various topics for your Bachelor or Master's Thesis/Diploma.

Contact

Name Dipl.-Ing. Mathias Neugebauer
Dipl.-Ing. Rocco Gasteiger
Adress Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
Fakultät für Informatik / ISG, PSF 4120
39016 Magdeburg
Phone (+49-391) 67-1 27 59
Fax (+49 391) 67-1 11 64

Images

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Videos

(You can watch an enlarged version of the video by clicking on the small preview a second time.)

2012
Video ( 2012 ):
The video presents the automatically extracted inflow jet and impingement zone of a steady flow dataset in a cerebral aneurysm. The extraction approach is based on the inflow streamlines seeded at the ostium and employs local streamline properties (e.g., curvature and distances to the aneurysm wall). Several visualization techniques depict both characteristics.
2011
Anatomy-Guided Multi-Level Exploration of Blood Flow ( 2011 ):
We present a three-scope approach for qualitative visual exploration of blood flow data. The scopes include a global scope, an ostium scope and a local scope. They are related to anatomic features such as the centerline, the ostium or the central aneurysm axis. The exploration includes multi-parameter visualisations and specialized widgets.
Lens-Based Flow Exploration of Cerebral Aneurysms ( 2011 ):
This video presents the FlowLens concept, a visual exploration approach of blood flow data in cerebral aneurysms. Relevant hemodynamic attributes, e.g., wall shear stress or pressure, are grouped to focus-and-context pairs and assigned to three different spatial scopes (global, near-wall, aneurysm). A 2.5D lens shape is used to embed locally the visualization of the context attribute within the focus attribute.
2010
Adaptive Surface Visualization ( 2010 ):
This video presents a new adaptive visualization technique of Cerebral Aneurysms with Embedded Blood Flow Information. It combines smart visibility techniques, depth cues, and line rendering. More flow perception is achieved in comparison to semi-transparent surface visualization of the enclosing aneurysm.
Reconstruction of the Ostium ( 2010 ):
This video presents an approach to automatically extract important landmarks and geometrically reconstruct the ostium. As shown, the ostium can be used to seperate the aneurysm from the parent vessel. It forms the basis for a variety of applications, e.g. feature-aware visualization or guided interaction.
2009
Flatmap ( 2009 ):
An overview visualization for scalar values (in this case wall shear stress) mapped on the aneurysm surface.

Publications

2012
Rocco Gasteiger, Dirk J. Lehmann, Roy van Pelt, Gabor Janiga and Oliver Beuing, Anna Vilanova, Holger Theisel and Bernhard Preim
Automatic Detection and Visualization of Qualitative Hemodynamic Characteristics in Cerebral Aneurysms
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG) (2178-2187), 2012
Mathias Neugebauer, Kai Lawonn, O. Beuing and Bernhard Preim
Automatic Generation of Anatomic Characteristics from Cerebral Aneurysm Surface Models
Journal of CARS, 2012
Benjamin Köhler, Mathias Neugebauer, Rocco Gasteiger, Gbor Janiga, Oliver Speck and Bernhard Preim
Surface-Based Seeding for Blood Flow Exploration
Bildverarbeitung für die Medizin (81-86), Berlin, 2012
2011
Rocco Gasteiger, Mathias Neugebauer, Oliver Beuing and Bernhard Preim
The FLOWLENS: A Focus-and-Context Visualization Approach for Exploration of Blood Flow in Cerebral Aneurysms
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG) (2183-2192), 2011
Mathias Neugebauer and Bernhard Preim
Generation of a Smooth Ostium Surface for Aneurysm Surface Models
Bildverarbeitung für die Medizin (BVM) (399-403), Lübeck, 2011
Mathias Neugebauer, Gabor Janiga, Oliver Beuing, Martin Skalej and Bernhard Preim
Anatomy-Guided Multi-Level Exploration of Blood Flow in Cerebral Aneurysms
Computer Graphics Forum (EuroVis) (1041-1050), 2011
Rocco Gasteiger, Gabor Janiga, Daniel Stucht, Anja Hennemuth and Ola Friman, Oliver Speck, Michael Markl and Bernhard Preim
Vergleich zwischen 7 Tesla 4D PC-MRI Flussmessung und CFD-Simulation
Bildverarbeitung für die Medizin (BVM) (304-308), Lübeck, 2011
Daniel Stucht, Rocco Gasteiger, Steffen Serowy, Michael Markl, Bernhard Preim and Oliver Speck
Bildbasierte Korrektur von Phasensprüngen in 4D PC-MRI Flussdaten
Bildverarbeitung für die Medizin (BVM) (424-428), Lübeck, 2011
2010
Mathias Neugebauer, Volker Diehl, Martin Skalej and Bernhard Preim
Geometric Reconstruction of the Ostium of Cerebral Aneurysms
VMV 2010 - Vision, Modeling, Visualization (307-314), Siegen, 2010
Mathias Neugebauer, Gabor Janiga, Oliver Beuing, Martin Skalej and Bernhard Preim
Modellbildung und Simulation - Computer-Aided Modelling of Blood Flow for the Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms
Biomed Tech (37-41), 2010
Rocco Gasteiger, Mathias Neugebauer, Christoph Kubisch and Bernhard Preim
Adapted Surface Visualization of Cerebral Aneurysms with Embedded Blood Flow Information
Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine (EG VCBM) (25-32), 2010
Rocco Gasteiger, Mathias Neugebauer, Volker Diehl, Oliver Beuing and Bernhard Preim
Entwurf einer angepassten Visualisierung von zerebralen Aneurysmen mit innenliegenden Blutflussinformationen
Proc. of CURAC (61-66), Düsseldorf, 2010
2009
Mathias Neugebauer, Rocco Gasteiger, Volker Diehl, Oliver Beuing and Bernhard Preim
Automatic generation of context visualizations for cerebral aneurysms from MRA datasets
International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS) (112-113), 2009
Mathias Neugebauer, Rocco Gasteiger, Oliver Beuing, Volker Diehl, Martin Skalej and Bernhard Preim
Map Displays for the Analysis of Scalar Data on Cerebral Aneurysm Surfaces
Computer Graphics Forum (EuroVis) (895-902), Berlin, 2009
2008
M. Neugebauer, G. Janiga, S. Zachow, M. Skalej and B. Preim
Generierung qualitativ hochwertiger Modelle für die Simulation von Blutfluss in zerebralen Aneurysmen
Proc. Simulation and Visualization (221-236), 2008