Experimental validation and clinical comparison of quantitative coronary analysis systems

The kernel topic of this thesis is the validation of QCA systems by a new experimental approach involving the percutaneous insertion of coronary stenosis phantoms in swine coronary arteries. The reliability of digital as well as cinefilm-based QCA systems has been compared on the basis of this experimental approach using different calibration techniques as well as on the basis of more traditional in vitro experiments and the practical value of various quantitative geometric parameters is discussed. In a comparative analysis with geometric coronary measurements, currently available software packages for videodensitometric analysis have been validated using experimental and clinical data and the potential role of videodensitometry for intracoronary volume estimation has been evaluated. Furthermore, on-line and off-line techniques for estimation of coronary flow reserve have been compared. Finally, the assessment of coronary artery luminal dimensions by intracoronary ultrasound has been compared with corresponding measurements obtained by quantitative angiography and basic methodological differences between both techniques are reviewed