Evaluation of regional pulmonary ventilation by videodensitometry using a new X-ray image processor

A new video image processing device has been produced in order to assess regional pulmonary ventilation. This device consists of a microcomputer, digital frame memory, digitizer, videomonitor, joystick and videotape recorder. The changing radiographic density of the lungs during deep respiration and forced expiration is recorded by the videotape recorder, which is connected to an image intensifier television system. This device allows the examining physician to place 6 rectangular windows of variable size over any portion of the video image using the joystick, and to measure the brightness level within these windows simultaneously. It is very characteristic that the video-densitometric curve and marks of the windows are superimposed on the frozen final frame of the sampled images. By this procedure, fair videodensigrams were obtained in various respiratory diseases, and reduction of ventilatory amplitude was shown in the hypoventilatory regions. The joint use of video-densitometry and perfusion lung scintigraphy provided helpful information concerning the regional ventilation/perfusion relationship. The videodensitometry of the lung the new X-ray image processor offers routine screening evaluation of regional pulmonary ventilation abnormalities over the entire video image of the lungs without more effort required of the patients. (author)