Communications of the ACM
To Diagnose Heart Disease, Visualization Experts Recommend a Simpler Approach
Professor Hanspeter Pfister and Michelle Borkin study computer visualization tools at Harvard SEAS.
Credit: Courtesy of Harvard
Harvard University researchers have developed HemoVis, a method for visualizing human arteries that, in clinical testing, increased diagnostic accuracy from 39 percent to 91 percent.
HemoVis creates a two-dimensional (2D) diagram that is more effective than the traditional three-dimensional, rainbow-colored model. The researchers say their visualization method offers insight to clinicians, imaging specialists, engineers, and others in a wide range of fields who need to explore and evaluate complex, branching structures. "Our goal was to design a visual representation of the data that was as accurate and efficient for patient diagnosis as possible," says Harvard researcher Michelle Borkin.
HemoVis utilizes 2D, circumference-adjusted cylindrical cross sections arranged in tree diagrams, leading to consistently fast, accurate results. The system uses a graded single-color scheme that can represent placement along a continuum, fading from red to black.
"This approach to visualization design and validation is broadly applicable in medicine, engineering, and science," says Harvard professor Hanspeter Pfister.
From Harvard University
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