Bolus chasing computed tomography angiography using local maximum tracking method

Tracking bolus peak position is a crucial issue for computed tomography angiography(CTA). In this paper, a local maximum tracking method is proposed and tested using real patient data. The method uses a second order polynomial to approximate bolus density function locally. By estimating the local maximum density position at next sampling time, bolus peak trajectory is closely followed. Experiments with Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) patient data show a significant performance improvement using the proposed tracking method over the conventional constant speed counterpart.