Cardiovascular imaging in the nineties

Abstract

The boundaries for the future of cardiac imaging and image processing have been enumerated with great ambitions, but the attainment of those goals will require a unique approach to further investigations. To reach these goals, the future approach should focus on the biological and technical problems that remain to be solved before complete characterization of cardiac structure, function, perfusion, and metabolism by imaging techniques will become a reality. These goals can only be met by interdisciplinary teams of investigators, representing expertise in the divergent areas of physics, electrical and computer engineering, physiology, biochemistry, computer science and the dinicians in cardiology, radiology, and nudear medicine. The successful attainment of our shared objectives depends on a dose interaction among the several academic disciplines cited, induding collaboration with industrial research and development laboratories. The achievements of coordinate cardiac imaging research to date are extraordinary and suggest that the application of quantitative analytical techniques to cardiovascular images will continue to yield impressive and meaningful results which should increase our knowledge of the cardiovascular system and the subjective utility for our patients.