Quantitation of blood flow rates in the carotid arteries from angiograms with distance-density curves

This paper quantifies average and instantaneous blood flow rates for evaluation of functional significance of stenoses and assessment of interventional procedures. Blood flow rates are measured based on analysis of the spatial shift of contrast material in angiographic images. The distance traversed by the contrast material during the time between two image acquisitions is determined by comparison of the distribution of contrast material along the length of the vessel (ie, the distance-density curve) in the two images. The flow rate is calculated using this distance, the frame rate, and the cross-sectional area of the vessel