SPOT-Cardio: Integrated Application for AI-Powered Automated Myocardial Scar Quantification on Joint Bright- and Black-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI Images

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is a key tool for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, but its analysis remains time-consuming and dependent on expert interpretation, which can limit throughput and reproducibility. To address these challenges, we aim to develop an automated solution that streamlines CMR post-processing, enabling consistent, rapid, and quantitative assessment of cardiac structures and myocardial pathology. <b>Methods:</b> We introduce SPOT-Cardio, an AI-powered imaging analysis toolbox based on a 2D breath-held late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging technology: SPOT. This acquisition combines BR- and BL-LGE images in a single scan, allowing simultaneous capture of high-contrast scar information and detailed cardiac anatomy. Using the resulting CMR images, deep learning models (based on 2D U-Net or MedFormer) were trained to segment cardiac structures and myocardial scars. The trained models and associated image-processing algorithms were then integrated into the open-source medInria platform and specifically within its cardiac-focused MUSICardio application. <b>Results:</b> SPOT-Cardio enables automatic segmentation of cardiac structures and myocardial scars, performs landmark-based regional localization, and extracts key biomarkers such as scar volume, extent, and transmurality. The resulting quantitative measures are presented in standardized bullseye plots accompanied by detailed clinical reports. <b>Conclusions:</b> With a one-click workflow and intuitive visualization, SPOT-Cardio reduces manual workload and supports more accessible and consistent cardiovascular assessment. By integrating advanced image acquisition with AI-based automation, it provides a practical and efficient solution for streamlined and quantitative CMR analysis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Published
2025-11-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14238428
Primary Topic
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
Type
article
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article

SPOT-Cardio: Integrated Application for AI-Powered Automated Myocardial Scar Quantification on Joint Bright- and Black-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI Images

Mathilde Merle, Matthias Stuber, Hubert Cochet, Thompson Richard et al.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
article

SPOT-Cardio: Integrated Application for AI-Powered Automated Myocardial Scar Quantification on Joint Bright- and Black-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI Images

Mathilde Merle, Matthias Stuber, Hubert Cochet, Thompson Richard, Édouard Gerbaud, Aurélien Bustin, Maxime Sermesant, Kun He, Victor de Villedon de Naide, Kalvin Narceau, Thaïs Génisson
article en

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is a key tool for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, but its analysis remains time-consuming and dependent on expert interpretation, which can limit throughput and reproducibility. To address these challenges, we aim to develop an automated solution that streamlines CMR post-processing, enabling consistent, rapid, and quantitative assessment of cardiac structures and myocardial pathology. <b>Methods:</b> We introduce SPOT-Cardio, an AI-powered imaging analysis toolbox based on a 2D breath-held late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging technology: SPOT. This acquisition combines BR- and BL-LGE images in a single scan, allowing simultaneous capture of high-contrast scar information and detailed cardiac anatomy. Using the resulting CMR images, deep learning models (based on 2D U-Net or MedFormer) were trained to segment cardiac structures and myocardial scars. The trained models and associated image-processing algorithms were then integrated into the open-source medInria platform and specifically within its cardiac-focused MUSICardio application. <b>Results:</b> SPOT-Cardio enables automatic segmentation of cardiac structures and myocardial scars, performs landmark-based regional localization, and extracts key biomarkers such as scar volume, extent, and transmurality. The resulting quantitative measures are presented in standardized bullseye plots accompanied by detailed clinical reports. <b>Conclusions:</b> With a one-click workflow and intuitive visualization, SPOT-Cardio reduces manual workload and supports more accessible and consistent cardiovascular assessment. By integrating advanced image acquisition with AI-based automation, it provides a practical and efficient solution for streamlined and quantitative CMR analysis.

Journal of Clinical MedicineVol. 14(23)
Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (FR), Université de Bordeaux (FR), Inserm (FR), Université Côte d'Azur (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux (FR), Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque (FR), Centre d'Imagerie BioMedicale (CH), Hôpital Xavier Arnozan (FR), University of Lausanne (CH)
Openalex Percentile: Top 48%
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
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