The role of 3D image guidance for interventional procedures and novel minimally invasive surgeries is increasing for the treatment of
vascular disease. Currently most vascular interventions are guided by two-dimensional x-ray angiography, but tree-dimensional (3D)
computed rotational angiography is becoming the modality of choice for cerebral applications. To obtain similar 3D angiographic
images of the coronary arteries requires gating of data acquisition to the patient’s electrocardiogram. We have developed a dynamic
model of the coronary arteries, based on a high-resolution 3D image of an excised human heart, which was perfused with iodinated
contrast agent. Realistic cyclic motion of the arteries during the cardiac cycle was determined from cine bi-plane coronary
angiograms of a patient and used to non-linearly deform the static 3D image to produce a sequence of volumetric images. These
volumetric data sets, at different time points of the cardiac cycle were then used to simulate different acquisition strategies;
perspective radiographic projections through the volumetric images, corresponding to any projection-angle were produced for all timepoints throughout the cardiac cycle. Combining re-projections from selected time-points and view angles enabled the evaluation of
various acquisition and gating strategies. Results are presented from simulations of gating strategies that acquire projection data only
during diastole, where the number of acquired views and the number of cardiac cycles used in the reconstruction is varied.