“Instant 3D” Angiography: Novel Technique for Rapid Conversion of 2D Angiograms into 3D Stereoscopic Videos

Abstract

Rotational angiography, often referred to as a "spin", is typically presented in 2D. Since rotational angiograms are composed of images acquired from multiple angles, we took advantage of this property to develop a method for converting any rotational angiogram into a 3 dimensional (3D) video. Our aim was to develop a low cost and easily distributable solution without requiring additional hardware or altering acquisition techniques. Six previously acquired rotational angiograms from our institution were imported using custom-written code and exported as anaglyph (red-cyan) videos. The resulting 3D videos convey anatomical depth that is not apparent from viewing the 2D images alone. Processing time was 1.3±0.6s (mean±SD) per angiogram. The only associated cost was $10 for red-cyan 3D glasses. Using our software, any rotational angiogram with at least 0.3 frames per degree of rotation can be converted into 3D. Our solution is an inexpensive and rapid method for generating stereoscopic videos from existing angiograms. It does not require any additional hardware and is readily deployable in low-resource settings. Because the videos are in anaglyph format, they are viewable on any 2 dimensional (2D) display in the interventional suite or operating room, on a mobile device, or at home.