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The importance of early and automated detection of cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death worldwide, is the basis of the study carried out by researchers from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena.

The thesis "Development of specific image processing techniques for application to the measurement of the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery on ultrasound images", developed by PhD student Consuelo Bastida Jumilla UPCT in the School of Engineering Telecommunications under the direction of Juan Morales Sánchez, concluded with a method that allows the assessment of certain indicators of arteriosclerosis fully automatically.

This research, which was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Radiology of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, used as baseline information and according to the author, now contrasted risk indicators for this disease, which is characterized by a hardening and narrowing of the blood vessel, which can even lead to occlusion preventing the blood from flowing through it.

Specifically, it is used as an indicator the inner wall thickness of the carotid artery, which is able to measure quickly and automated in whole extension visible on ultrasound.

Thus, the medical staff can evaluate the cardiovascular health of the patient, supported by measures to diagnose the disease, follow the time evolution of the disease or the treatment applied to the patient.

So far, this process was being done by observing the images on carotid ultrasound and the specialist manually extracted measurements only in some points of it.

In the thesis, the method has been developed removes this limitation, can be to study all ecografiado segment.

Thus, the subjectivity of the measure is withdrawn and the error that exists with the current process as the measurement time is reduced so much.

The procedure, which has been evaluated on a set of 58 scans of 35 patients in the Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, has received funding provided Ministry of Science and Innovation and a grant from Research Personnel Training provided by the Seneca Foundation.

Source: UPCT