Accuracy comparison of micro-angiographic detector and image intensifier for an interventional localization task

In order to assess the effect of the use of a high-resolution micro-angiographic detector on the accuracy of performing interventional localization tasks, we set up a simple task to localize a guide wire tip relative to one edge of a thin marker wire. Trained observers were asked to evaluate the micro-angiographic images as well as the comparison standard x-ray image intensifier (XRII) images, both of which were taken with the guidewire in the same positions. The observers were able to get more accurate estimation results using images obtained with the micro-angiographic detector than the XRII; the average distance error and performance variability both were reduced by factors of 2-3.