Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
A Basic Model for IVUS Image
Simulation
Misael Rosales
1
and Petia Radeva
2
Introduction
Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases [1], which increase their incidence in
vertiginous form, were the principal cause of mortality in the industrialized coun-
tries in the latter half of the 1950s, and cause more deaths today than deaths due
to cancer and accidents. In effect, arteriosclerotic diseases in general (infarct
to miocardio, angina of chest, cerebrovascular accidents, and arterial diseases
of the legs and arms) have caused, and continue causing, more deaths and in-
creased consultations in emergency rooms and doctors' offices than any other
disease in this century, including AIDS. Coronary arterial diseases develop due
to a narrowing (stenosis) of the walls of the coronary arteries, caused by the
accumulation of fibrotic material and calcium crystals [2]. In humans, the de-
velopment of this type of plaque normally takes between 15 and 20 years. There
exist complicated injuries, which generate the formation of thrombus; the rup-
ture of the plaque can be considered an important mechanism of acute coronary
syndromes. An imminent problem if the arteries narrow too much due to steno-
sis is that the blood flow diminishes significantly. A total occlusion can take
1
Laboratorio de Fısica Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Fısica de la
Universidad de los Andes M erida, Venezuela
2
Centre de Visi o per Computador, Universidad Aut onoma de Barcelona, Edifici O, Campus
UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
1
