Validation of color-enhanced composite lung images

This study involved an evaluation of our V/Q system by five radiologists using forty-nine clinical data sets. The experts compared the quality of the registration and the color visualization methods. A Web-based user interface was developed to display color-enhanced images and to manipulate those images. The original gray scale image sets were also transformed to a green color table for ventilation images and a red color table for perfusion images to improve visualization. V/Q ratios are calculated and displayed on color-enhanced superimposed images. The user-friendly design enabled the experts to evaluate results quickly and efficiently. The physicians recorded their degree of satisfaction with each registration method and the effect of color/visualization on the superimposed ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) images. The outcome of a subjective survey and other objective validation methods were compared to assess registration functionality.