A CPR (Curved Planar Reformation) is a digital line or path that usually follows a structure in the body. Most commonly, CPRS are used to demonstrate the path along the center point of a blood vessel. These CPRs can be used for a variety of measurements that assist healthcare staff with decision making.
Beyond demonstrating the path of a vessel, CPRs can be created along any determined path. A CPR can show a persistent view along this entire path, allowing instant measurements and creating an “anchor” for the scan to be rotated around. Cross section views can be created perpendicularly to the CPR as well, simplifying the winding visuals of blood vessels and other surfaces.
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Other uses of a CPR include stent simulation, which allows the stent to be viewed and moved along a CPR, demonstrating stent size and the surrounding anatomy.
A CPR can also be used for plaque measurements and analysis of a diseased vessel with a blood clot. This is done with software that calculates the contrast (intensity of light and dark areas) around the centerline to produce a report showing how much plaque is within the vessel diameter
A CPR is created with patient medical imaging data, using a combination of automated software tools and human technologist guidance. Some software will automatically attempt to create a CPR along a designated path, but tend to need human review. The CPR can be altered by hand by moving “adjustment points” created along the path. Some software allows the combination of multiple paths, creating a multi pass CPR.
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