Abstract: A method and system for isolating the heart in a 3D volume, such as a cardiac CT volume, for patients with coronary artery bypasses is disclosed. An initial heart isolation mask is extracted from a 3D volume, such as a cardiac CT volume. The aortic root and ascending aorta are segmented in the 3D volume, resulting in an aorta mesh. The aorta mesh is expanded to include bypass coronary arteries. An expanded heart isolation mask is generated by combining the initial heart isolation mask with an expanded aorta mask defined by the expanded aorta mesh.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for determining and visualizing the perfusion of the myocardial muscle with the aid of static CCTA images. In at least one embodiment, the device includes a segmentation unit for segmenting the coronary blood vessels and the left myocardial muscle from a CCTA image of the heart; a first simulation unit for simulating the blood flow through the coronary blood vessels; and a second simulation unit by which the local perfusion of the myocardial muscle is determined on the basis of the ascertained blood flow into different regions of the myocardial muscle. The perfusion of the different regions of the myocardial muscle is visualized in a schematized image on a visualization unit. By virtue of the proposed device it is possible to dispense with further imaging examinations after the performance of a CCTA scan, thereby relieving the pressure both on the part of the physician and on the part of the patient.

Abstract: A method and system for detection of native and bypass coronary ostia in a 3D volume, such as a CT volume, is disclosed. Native coronary ostia are detected by detecting a bounding box defining locations of a left native coronary ostium and a right native coronary ostium in the 3D volume using marginal space learning (MSL), and locally refining the locations of the left native coronary ostium and the right native coronary ostium using a trained native coronary ostium detector. Bypass coronary ostia are detected by segmenting an ascending aorta surface mesh in the 3D volume, generating a search region of a plurality of mesh points on the ascending aorta surface mesh based on a distribution of annotated bypass coronary ostia in a plurality of training volumes, and detecting the bypass coronary ostia by searching the plurality of mesh points in the search region.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for visualizing at least one section of the wall of an atrium of the heart in a patient after an ablation for treating atrial fibrillation, in which, based on a volume data record of the heart in the patient obtained after the ablation, at least the treated atrium of the heart in the patient is segmented, wherein those voxels are established that can be considered part of the inner surface, the outer surface, and the volume situated between the inner and outer surfaces of the wall of the treated atrium. Further, in at least one embodiment of the method, there is volume rendering or ray casting such that only the voxel values of those voxels that lie on the inner surface, in the volume, or on the outer surface of the wall of the treated atrium are used for visualizing at least the section of the wall of the treated atrium of the heart.

Abstract: A method and system for providing detecting and classifying coronary stenoses in 3D CT image data is disclosed. Centerlines of coronary vessels are extracted from the CT image data. Non-vessel regions are detected and removed from the coronary vessel centerlines. The cross-section area of the lumen is estimated based on the coronary vessel centerlines using a trained regression function. Stenosis candidates are detected in the coronary vessels based on the estimated lumen cross-section area, and the significant stenosis candidates are automatically classified as calcified, non-calcified, or mixed.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for highlighting local characteristics in anatomical volume renderings of vessel structures and a computer system is disclosed for carrying out this method.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and computer readable mediums for generating a volume visualization image based on multi-energy computed tomography data are provided. In one method, an image is rendered based on a multi-dimensional graphical representation of the computed tomography data. The computed tomography data includes at least two different energy image data sets and the multi-dimensional graphical representation represents intensity values of each of the at least two different energy image data sets.

Abstract: A method and a data-processing system are disclosed for determining the proportion of calcium in coronary arteries using image data from CT angiography. In at least one embodiment of the method, anatomical landmarks are detected in the image data in the region of the heart and coronary arteries are segmented taking into account the detected landmarks. Regions with an increased HU value compared to a contrast agent surroundings are segmented in the segmented coronary arteries. A proportion of calcium respectively is calculated from the segmented regions for one or more of the segmented coronary arteries. At least the last two steps are carried out fully automatically by a data-processing system. Weighting factors for the individual regions are used when calculating the proportion of calcium, which weighting factors depend on both the threshold for segmenting the respective region and the volume of said region.

Abstract: Heart valve operation is assessed with patient-specific medical diagnostic imaging data. To deal with the complex motion of the passive valve tissue, a hierarchal model is used. Rigid global motion of the overall valve, non-rigid local motion of landmarks of the valve, and surface motion of the valve are modeled sequentially. For the non-rigid local motion, a spectral trajectory approach is used in the model to determine location and motion of the landmarks more efficiently than detection and tracking. Given efficiencies in processing, more than one valve may be modeled at a same time. A graphic overlay representing the valve in four dimensions and/or quantities may be provided during an imaging session. One or more of these features may be used in combination or independently.

Abstract: A method and system for automatic coronary stenosis detection in computed tomography (CT) data is disclosed. Coronary artery centerlines are obtained in an input cardiac CT volume. A trained classifier, such as a probabilistic boosting tree (PBT) classifier, is used to detect stenosis regions along the centerlines in the input cardiac CT volume. The classifier classifies each of the control points that define the coronary artery centerlines as a stenosis point or a non-stenosis point.

Abstract: A method and system for coronary artery detection in 3D cardiac volumes is disclosed. The heart chambers are segmented in the cardiac volume, and an initial estimation of a coronary artery is generated based on the segmented heart chambers. The initial estimation of the coronary artery is then refined based on local information in the cardiac volume in order to detect the coronary artery in the cardiac volume. The detected coronary artery can be extended using 3D dynamic programming.

Abstract: A visualization of an image data record of an organ enclosing a cavity, in particular a CT image data record of a colon, that is reliable and has a low level of computational complexity, is performed according to a method. In at least one embodiment of the method a virtual viewer position outside the organ tissue is defined; an interface between the organ tissue and the cavity is defined with the aid of the image data record; from the middle of the cavity local gradients, that specify the rise in the absorption behavior between a gas contained in the cavity and the organ tissue, are determined; starting from the viewer position, a search beam is defined and an angle between the search beam and the gradients is determined; and a transparency value is allocated to the organ tissue as a function of the angle during visualization.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and computer readable mediums for generating a volume visualization image based on multi-energy computed tomography data are provided. In one method, an image is rendered based on a multi-dimensional graphical representation of the computed tomography data. The computed tomography data includes at least two different energy image data sets and the multi-dimensional graphical representation represents intensity values of each of the at least two different energy image data sets.

Abstract: A method and a workstation are disclosed for visualizing a three-dimensional image data record having a multiplicity of voxels of a heart of a patient, recorded with the aid of an x-ray CT examination carried out with contrast agent present in the bloodstream. In at least one embodiment, the method includes saving the CT image data record including a multiplicity of voxels defined by absorption values, determining the voxels associated with the chamber of the heart by segmenting the chambers of the heart filled with blood containing the contrast agent, removing the image information from the voxels associated with the chambers of the heart, calculating a two-dimensional virtual projection from the remaining CT image data record, and displaying the virtual two-dimensional projection.

Abstract: A system for presenting multi-dimensional content includes a computer network; a server computer; and, a client computer coupled to the server computer through the computer network. The client computer has a browser software executing thereon implementing a method of presenting multi-dimensional content in the client computer. The method includes transmitting an identifier; receiving a hierarchical document generated based on the identifier; and, rendering a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the hierarchical document.

Abstract: In a client/server-based image archiving, image retrieval and image rendering system and method for storage, retrieval and graphical visualization of multi-dimensional digital image data such as assessment of medical image data, the detail depth level of volume data received via a data transfer network, to be shown in graphical form, is adjustable by the compressed volume data of subjects to be presented being stored with a highest-possible resolution (predetermined by an imaging system) in a databank administered by a server and directly accessibly only by this server.