Intracranial vascular anatomy is both complex and variable. 

In order for both the neurosurgeon and the interventional radiologist to treat a variety of lesions, it is necessary for the clinician not only to visualize complex vascular anatomy in three dimensions (3D), but also to know the connectivity patterns of these vessels. As the vasculature is variable from patient to patient, it is not feasible to create a generalized model of the vasculature that can be applied to all patients.

We have developed methods of segmenting vessels from 3D datasets (MR, CT, ultrasound, 3D-DSA) and of providing graph descriptions of these vessels, with results tested by projection upon x-ray angiograms of the same patient. These patient-specific vascular models can then be used to aid surgical planning of complex vascular lesions and tumors. The same methods can also be used to help guide endovascular procedures procedures throughout the body, and we are currently developing methods for

the endovascular abdominal procedure TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt formation). Additional applications include 3D-3D vascular registration and the development of methods that allow fast, interactive rendering of vascular anatomy by

ray-casting even on the home pc. All programs are cross-platform and run well on the home pc, so that surgical planning/guidance can be performed on readily available computers in the OR, office, or home.