Francesc Carreras, Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Sandra Pujadas, Chi ho Lion, R.Suarez-Arias, et al. (2012). Left ventricular torsion and longitudinal shortening: two fundamental components of myocardial mechanics assessed by tagged cine-MRI in normal subjects. IJCI - International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging, 28(2), 273–284.
Abstract: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (Cardiac MRI) has become a gold standard diagnostic technique for the assessment of cardiac mechanics, allowing the non-invasive calculation of left ventric- ular long axis longitudinal shortening (LVLS) and absolute myocardial torsion (AMT) between basal and apical left ventricular slices, a movement directly related to the helicoidal anatomic disposition of the myocardial fibers. The aim of this study is to determine AMT and LVLS behaviour and normal values from a group of healthy subjects. A group of 21 healthy volunteers (15 males) (age: 23–55 y.o., mean:30.7 ± 7.5) were prospectively included in an obser- vational study by Cardiac MRI. Left ventricular rotation (degrees) was calculated by custom-made software (Harmonic Phase Flow) in consecutive LV short axis planes tagged cine-MRI sequences. AMT was determined from the difference between basal and apical planes LV rotations. LVLS (%) was determined from the LV longitudinal and horizontal axis cine-MRI images. All the 21 cases studied were interpretable, although in three cases the value of the LV apical rotation could not be determined. The mean rotation of the basal and apical planes at end-systole were -3.71° ± 0.84° and 6.73° ± 1.69° (n:18) respectively, resulting in a LV mean AMT of 10.48° ± 1.63° (n:18). End-systolic mean LVLS was 19.07 ± 2.71%. Cardiac MRI allows for the calculation of AMT and LVLS, fundamental functional components of the ventricular twist mechanics conditioned, in turn, by the anatomical helical layout of the myocardial fibers. These values provide complementary information about systolic ventricular function in relation to the traditional parameters used in daily practice.
Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Tagging MRI; Cardiac mechanics; Ventricular torsion
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Paula Fritzsche, C.Roig, Ana Ripoll, Emilio Luque, & Aura Hernandez-Sabate. (2006). A Performance Prediction Methodology for Data-dependent Parallel Applications. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Cluster Computing (pp. 1–8).
Abstract: The increase in the use of parallel distributed architectures in order to solve large-scale scientific problems has generated the need for performance prediction for both deterministic applications and non-deterministic applications. In particular, the performance prediction of data dependent programs is an extremely challenging problem because for a specific issue the input datasets may cause different execution times. Generally, a parallel application is characterized as a collection of tasks and their interrelations. If the application is time-critical it is not enough to work with only one value per task, and consequently knowledge of the distribution of task execution times is crucial. The development of a new prediction methodology to estimate the performance of data-dependent parallel applications is the primary target of this study. This approach makes it possible to evaluate the parallel performance of an application without the need of implementation. A real data-dependent arterial structure detection application model is used to apply the methodology proposed. The predicted times obtained using the new methodology for genuine datasets are compared with predicted times that arise from using only one execution value per task. Finally, the experimental study shows that the new methodology generates more precise predictions.
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Gemma Sanchez, Josep Llados, & Enric Marti. (1997). A string-based method to recognize symbols and structural textures in architectural plans. In 2nd IAPR Workshop on Graphics Recognition.
Abstract: This paper deals with the recognition of symbols and struc- tural textures in architectural plans using string matching techniques. A plan is represented by an attributed graph whose nodes represent characteristic points and whose edges represent segments. Symbols and textures can be seen as a set of regions, i.e. closed loops in the graph, with a particular arrangement. The search for a symbol involves a graph matching between the regions of a model graph and the regions of the graph representing the document. Discriminating a texture means a clus- tering of neighbouring regions of this graph. Both procedures involve a similarity measure between graph regions. A string codification is used to represent the sequence of outlining edges of a region. Thus, the simila- rity between two regions is defined in terms of the string edit distance between their boundary strings. The use of string matching allows the recognition method to work also under presence of distortion.
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Jaume Garcia. (2009). Statistical Models of the Architecture and Function of the Left Ventricle (Debora Gil, Ed.). Ph.D. thesis, Ediciones Graficas Rey, .
Abstract: Cardiovascular Diseases, specially those affecting the Left Ventricle (LV), are the leading cause of death in developed countries with approximately a 30% of all global deaths. In order to address this public health concern, physicians focus on diagnosis and therapy planning. On one hand, early and accurate detection of Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities (RWMA) significantly contributes to a quick diagnosis and prevents the patient to reach more severe stages. On the other hand, a thouroughly knowledge of the normal gross anatomy of the LV, as well as, the distribution of its muscular fibers is crucial for designing specific interventions and therapies (such as pacemaker implanction). Statistical models obtained from the analysis of different imaging modalities allow the computation of the normal ranges of variation within a given population. Normality models are a valuable tool for the definition of objective criterions quantifying the degree of (anomalous) deviation of the LV function and anatomy for a given subject. The creation of statistical models involve addressing three main issues: extraction of data from images, definition of a common domain for comparison of data across patients and designing appropriate statistical analysis schemes. In this PhD thesis we present generic image processing tools for the creation of statistical models of the LV anatomy and function. On one hand, we use differential geometry concepts to define a computational framework (the Normalized Parametric Domain, NPD) suitable for the comparison and fusion of several clinical scores obtained over the LV. On the other hand, we present a variational approach (the Harmonic Phase Flow, HPF) for the estimation of myocardial motion that provides dense and continuous vector fields without overestimating motion at injured areas. These tools are used for the creation of statistical models. Regarding anatomy, we obtain an atlas jointly modelling, both, LV gross anatomy and fiber architecture. Regarding function, we compute normality patterns of scores characterizing the (global and local) LV function and explore, for the first time, the configuration of local scores better suited for RWMA detection.
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, R.Leta, Xavier Alomar, et al. (2008). Patrons de Normalitat Regional per la Valoració de la Funció del Ventricle Esquerre. In XX Congrés de la Societat Catalana de Cardiologia (60). Barcelona.
Abstract: Les malalties cardiovasculars afecten les propietats contràctils de la banda ventricular i provoquen una variació de la funció del Ventricle Esquerre (VE) . Només els indicadors locals (strains, la deformació del teixit) són capaços de detectar anomalies en territoris específics del VE . Patrons de normalitat regionals d’aquests paràmetres serien d’utilitat a l’hora de valorar-ne la funció .
Presentem un Domini Paramètric Normalitzat (DPN) que permet comparar dades de diferents pacients i definir Patrons de Normalitat Regional (PNR)
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, R.Leta, Xavier Alomar, et al. (2008). Un Model 3D del Ventricle Esquerre Integrant Anatomia i Funcionalitat. In XX Congrés de la Societat Catalana de Cardiologia, Actes del Congres (122). Barcelona.
Abstract: Els canvis en la dinàmica del Ventricle Esquerre (VE) reflecteixen la majoria de malalties cardiovasculars . Els avenços en imatge mèdica han impulsat la recerca en models i simulacions de la dinàmica 3D del VE . La majoria dels models existents sols consideren l’anatomia externa del VE i no permeten una avaluació de l’acoblament electromecànic . Donat que la mecànica d’un muscle depèn de la orientació de les seves fibres, un model realista hauria d’incloure la disposició espacial de la banda ventricular helicoidal (BVH) .
Proposem desenvolupar un model del VE adaptat a cada pacient que integri, per primer cop, l’anatomia de la banda ventricular, l’anatomia externa del VE i la seva funcionalitat, per a una millor determinació del patró d’activació electromecànica
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, & R.Leta. (2007). Modelització 4-Dimensional de la Funció Siatólica del Ventricle Esquerre. In XIX Congrés de la Societat Catalana de Cardiologia de Barcelona (pp. 133–134). Barcelona (Spain).
Abstract: L’evolució tecnològica en el tractament de les imatges mèdiques permet reconstruir, amb el software apropiat, imatges tridimensionals de les estructures cardiovasculars i dotar-les de moviment. Les imatges 4D resultants faciliten l’estudi de la fisiopatologia de la insuficiència cardíaca en base als transtorns de l’activació electromecànica ventricular, el que pot ser d’interès en el procés de selecció de pacients candidats a teràpies de resincronització. Presentem els resultats preliminars de la reconstrucció 4D del ventricle esquerre (VE) a partir de les seqüències de tagging miocàrdic del VE.
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Luis Badiella, Aura Hernandez-Sabate, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, et al. (2010). A Normalized Framework for the Design of Feature Spaces Assessing the Left Ventricular Function. TMI - IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 29(3), 733–745.
Abstract: A through description of the left ventricle functionality requires combining complementary regional scores. A main limitation is the lack of multiparametric normality models oriented to the assessment of regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA). This paper covers two main topics involved in RWMA assessment. We propose a general framework allowing the fusion and comparison across subjects of different regional scores. Our framework is used to explore which combination of regional scores (including 2-D motion and strains) is better suited for RWMA detection. Our statistical analysis indicates that for a proper (within interobserver variability) identification of RWMA, models should consider motion and extreme strains.
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, A.Bajo, M.J.Ledesma-Carbayo, & C.SantaMarta. (2008). Influence of the temporal resolution on the quantification of displacement fields in cardiac magnetic resonance tagged images. In Alan Murray (Ed.), Proc. Computers in Cardiology (Vol. 35, pp. 785–788).
Abstract: It is difficult to acquire tagged cardiac MR images with a high temporal and spatial resolution using clinical MR scanners. However, if such images are used for quantifying scores based on motion, it is essential a resolution as high as possible. This paper explores the influence of the temporal resolution of a tagged series on the quantification of myocardial dynamic parameters. To such purpose we have designed a SPAMM (Spatial Modulation of Magnetization) sequence allowing acquisition of sequences at simple and double temporal resolution. Sequences are processed to compute myocardial motion by an automatic technique based on the tracking of the harmonic phase of tagged images (the Harmonic Phase Flow, HPF). The results have been compared to manual tracking of myocardial tags. The error in displacement fields for double resolution sequences reduces 17%.
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Jaume Garcia, Debora Gil, Joel Barajas, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, & Petia Radeva. (2006). Characterization of ventricular torsion in healthy subjects using Gabor filters and a variational framework. In Proc. Computers in Cardiology (pp. 877–880).
Abstract: In this work, we present a fully automated method for tissue deformation estimation in tagged magnetic resonance images (TMRI). Gabor filter banks, tuned independently for each left ventricle level, provide optimally filtered complex images which phase remains constant along the cardiac cycle. This fact can be thought as the brightness constancy condition required by classical optical flow (OF) methods. Pairs of these filtered sequences, together with a variational formulation are used in a second step to obtain dense continuous deformation maps that we call Harmonic Phase Flow. This method has been used to determine reference values of ventricular torsion (VT) in a set of 8 healthy volunteers. The results encourage the use of VT as a useful parameter for ventricular function assessment in clinical routine.
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Jaume Garcia, Francesc Carreras, Sandra Pujades, & Debora Gil. (2008). Regional motion patterns for the Left Ventricle function assessment. In Proc. 19th Int. Conf. Pattern Recognition ICPR 2008 (pp. 1–4).
Abstract: Regional scores (e.g. strain, perfusion) of the Left Ventricle (LV) functionality are playing an increasing role in the diagnosis of cardiac diseases. A main limitation is the lack of normality models for complementary scores oriented to assessment of the LV integrity. This paper introduces an original framework based on a parametrization of the LV domain, which allows comparison across subjects of local physiological measures of different nature. We compute regional normality patterns in a feature space characterizing the LV function. We show the consistency of the model for the regional motion on healthy and hypokinetic pathological cases
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Enrique Cabello, Cristina Conde, Angel Serrano, Licesio Rodriguez, & David Vazquez. (2006). Empleo de sistemas biométricos para el reconocimiento de personas en aeropuertos.
Abstract: El presente proyecto se desarrolló a lo largo del año 2005, probando un prototipo de un sistema de verificación facial con imágenes extraídas de las cámaras de video vigilancia del aeropuerto de Barajas. Se diseñaron varios experimentos, agrupados en dos clases. En el primer tipo, el sistema es entrenado con imágenes obtenidas en condiciones de laboratorio y luego probado con imágenes extraídas de las cámaras de video vigilancia del aeropuerto de Barajas. En el segundo caso, tanto las imágenes de entrenamiento como las de prueba corresponden a imágenes extraídas de Barajas. Se ha desarrollado un sistema completo, que incluye adquisición y digitalización de las imágenes, localización y recorte de las caras en escena, verificación de sujetos y obtención de resultados. Los resultados muestran, que, en general, un sistema de verificación facial basado en imágenes puede ser una ayuda a un operario que deba estar vigilando amplias zonas.
Keywords: Surveillance; Face detection; Face recognition
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Jaume Garcia, David Rotger, Francesc Carreras, R.Leta, & Petia Radeva. (2003). Contrast echography segmentation and tracking by trained deformable models. In Proc. Computers in Cardiology (Vol. 30, pp. 173–176). Centre de Visió per Computador – Dept. Informàtica, UAB Edifici O – Campus UAB, 08193 Bellater.
Abstract: The objective of this work is to segment the human left ventricle myocardium (LVM) in contrast echocardiography imaging and thus track it along a cardiac cycle in order to extract quantitative data about heart function. Ultrasound images are hard to work with due to their speckle appearance. To overcome this we report the combination of active contour models (ACM) or snakes and active shape models (ASM). The ability of ACM in giving closed and smooth curves in addition to the power of the ASM in producing shapes similar to the ones learned, evoke to a robust algorithm. Meanwhile the snake is attracted towards image main features, ASM acts as a correction factor. The algorithm was tested independently on 180 frames and satisfying results were obtained: in 95% the maximum difference between automatic and experts segmentation was less than 12 pixels.
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Jaume Garcia. (2004). Generalized Active Shape Models Applied to Cardiac Function Analysis. Master's thesis, , .
Abstract: Medical imaging is very useful in the assessment and treatment of many diseases. To deal with the great amount of data provided by imaging scanners and extract quantitative information that physicians can interpret, many analysis algorithms have been developed. Any process of analysis always consists of a first step of segmenting some particular structure. In medical imaging, structures are not always well defined and suffer from noise artifacts thus, ordinary segmentation methods are not well suited. The ones that seem to give better results are those based on deformable models. Nevertheless, despite their capability of mixing image features together with smoothness constraints that may compensate for image irregularities, these are naturally local methods, i. e., each node of the active contour evolve taking into account information about its neighbors and some other weak constraints about flexibility and smoothness, but not about the global shape that they should find. Due to the fact that structures to be segmented are the same for all cases but with some inter and intra-patient variation, the incorporation of a priori knowledge about shape in the segmentation method will provide robustness to it. Active Shape Models is an algorithm based on the creation of a shape model called Point Distribution Model. It performs a segmentation using only shapes similar than those previously learned from a training set that capture most of the variation presented by the structure. This algorithm works by updating shape nodes along a normal segment which often can be too restrictive. For this reason we propose a generalization of this algorithm that we call Generalized Active Shape Models and fully integrates the a priori knowledge given by the Point Distribution Model with deformable models or any other appropriate segmentation method. Two different applications to cardiac imaging of this generalized method are developed and promising results are shown.
Keywords: Cardiac Analysis; Deformable Models; Active Contour Models; Active Shape Models; Tagged MRI; HARP; Contrast Echocardiography.
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Jaume Garcia, Albert Andaluz, Debora Gil, & Francesc Carreras. (2010). Decoupled External Forces in a Predictor-Corrector Segmentation Scheme for LV Contours in Tagged MR Images. In 32nd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (pp. 4805–4808).
Abstract: Computation of functional regional scores requires proper identification of LV contours. On one hand, manual segmentation is robust, but it is time consuming and requires high expertise. On the other hand, the tag pattern in TMR sequences is a problem for automatic segmentation of LV boundaries. We propose a segmentation method based on a predictorcorrector (Active Contours – Shape Models) scheme. Special stress is put in the definition of the AC external forces. First, we introduce a semantic description of the LV that discriminates myocardial tissue by using texture and motion descriptors. Second, in order to ensure convergence regardless of the initial contour, the external energy is decoupled according to the orientation of the edges in the image potential. We have validated the model in terms of error in segmented contours and accuracy of regional clinical scores.
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