Abstract: The invention relates to an image system and a method for supporting the navigation of interventional tools when performing imaging controlled minimally invasive interventions within the body of a patient in a predetermined intervention plane, which serves to improve the precision and reliability of interventional accesses that are required for performing a histological tissue sample removal under CT or MRT based image-oriented monitoring, or in the context of tumor therapy or pain therapy. Directional deviations, away from the intervention plane, of the actual course of an interventional tool from a predeterminable desired course are captured and presented for display by registering the shortened represented total length or a shortened represented partial length of this interventional tool in the 2D projection representation of a fluoroscopic radioscopy recording that was recorded in a 2D projection direction running normally relative to the intervention plane.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and a device for separate three-dimensional presentation of arteries and/or veins of a vessel system in a part of the body of a vertebrate by a rotation computer tomography. A masking run of the tomograph is undertaken without contrast media around the part of the body. Then two filling runs with contrast media are executed, with the venous phase of vessel contrasting during the first filling run occurring during the arterial phase of vessel contrasting of the second filling run and vice-versa. The data from the first and second filling run is combined into data sets from the arterial or the venous phases of the vessel contrasting of the filling runs. The data of the masking run is subtracted from the combined data sets to obtain final data sets for a three-dimensional presentation of the arterial or the venous vessel system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for making correction information for correcting a guidance direction of an instrument. Based on a current position of the tip of the instrument and the current guidance direction of the instrument and the position of a target point in an object, a first straight line indicating the current guidance direction and a second straight line defined by the tip of the instrument and the target point in the object are determined. The second straight line intersects the first straight line and indicates the desired guidance direction. Based on the position of the first and second straight lines relative to one another, a digital item of correction information is specified, wherein the correction image has a correction diagram located in a plane in the perspective of the current guidance direction of the instrument.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for optically-based acquisition of slice images from a vessel of a subject, and for combining the slice images to provide an intuitively recognizable visualization of a pathology in the vessel, slice images of the vessel are acquired during pullback of an optical probe of the optically-based slice imaging system, while simultaneously acquiring an ECG signal from the subject. The slice images and the ECG signal are registered, and slice images acquired at a selected cardiac phase are combined into a scene. The slice images in the scene are subjected to a first data transformation to shift the vessel midpoint in each slice image to the image center of each slice image. After the first data transformation, the slice images in the scene are subjected to a second data transformation to produce the visualization. The second transformation, for example, can be a curved planar reformation to allow the vessel to be shown in longitudinal section.

Abstract: A method for temporally registering two image series datasets, each of which images a preferably periodically moving object and consists of time-resolved single images each composed of pixels or voxels, with a single image, recorded at a first instant, in the first image series dataset being in each case assigned to a single image, recorded at the same or another instant, in the second image series dataset, with the specific single image in the second image series dataset exhibiting maximum similarity to the single image in the first image series dataset being determined for registering a single image in the first image series dataset.

Abstract: With an x-ray imaging system with a moveable part, obstacles can stand in the way of the movement of the moveable part. In accordance with the invention, video cameras capture the occupation of the space by objects using volume elements. It is possible to determine at a target movement of the moveable part which volume elements are passed through during this. If one of these volume elements proves to be a volume element occupied by an object, the movement of the moveable part is prevented, otherwise it is enabled or actively implemented.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reducing image noise in the context of capturing at least one radiation-based image of a region of interest using two different radiation spectra, in particular two different x-ray radiation spectra, comprising the following steps: capturing raw images of the region of interest using the two different radiation spectra with in each case mutually paired measured values; and to separate different materials in the region of interest, applying to the captured raw images at least one inversion operator with integrated noise filtering, said operator describing a transition from a measured value pair to an assigned reconstruction value pair.

Abstract: A computer receives a plurality of two-dimensional fluoroscopy images of an examination object, capture time points and projection parameters and combines the images into image groups. Each image group contains all the images, the capture time point of which is between a minimum and a maximum time point specific to the respective image group. When the image groups are sorted by ascending minimum time points, the corresponding maximum time points form a strictly monotonously ascending order. The respective minimum and maximum time points are determined so that the computer reconstructs a three-dimensional object reconstruction of the examination object based on the images assigned to the respective image group. A respective two-dimensional reconstruction display is determined by the respective three-dimensional object reconstruction and outputted to a user in a coding specific to the respective image group by a display device.

Abstract: A method for guiding stent deployment during an endovascular procedure includes providing a virtual stent model of a real stent that specifies a length, diameter, shape, and placement of the real stent. The method further includes projecting the virtual stent model onto a 2-dimensional (2D) DSA image of a target lesion, manipulating a stent deployment mechanism to navigate the stent to the target lesion while simultaneously acquiring real-time 2D fluoroscopic images of the stent navigation, and overlaying each fluoroscopic image on the 2D DSA image having the projected virtual stent model image, where the 2D fluoroscopic images are acquired from a C-arm mounted X-ray apparatus, and updating the projection of the virtual stent model onto the fluoroscopic images whenever a new fluoroscopic image is acquired or whenever the C-arm is moved, where the stent is aligned with the virtual stent model by aligning stent end markers with virtual end markers.

Abstract: There is described a medical examination and/or treatment apparatus with an electromagnet for generating a magnetic field for navigating a medical instrument and an x-ray device having an x-ray source and an x-ray detector attached to a bracket for visual control during the navigation, with the x-ray source and the x-ray detector being arranged on the electromagnet embodied as a hollow cylinder, on the front ends of which are located two ring coils which are arranged in parallel, between which a number of saddle coils arranged in the peripheral direction are arranged, with the hollow cylinder being arranged on a bracket which can be moved about a number of axes.

Abstract: For facilitating the optimal positioning of a patient resting on the couch of a C-arm computed tomography system, an input is received, via individual pixels or areas of pixels selected in a predetermined image data set, thus enabling the area of interest to be highlighted. Image data of the patient resting on the couch is acquired. These two processes together make it possible to calculate the position, relative to the couch, of a marked-out point that is to coincide with the isocenter for the rotation of the C-arm, and from this at least one coordinate that serves to define the position of the couch can be derived. If this coordinate is displayed, a doctor performing the treatment can move the couch to the appropriate position by hand. The couch can also be designed to be automatically movable by electric motors after determining the coordinate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for recording X-ray images by means of a robotically controlled C-arm system which includes an image recording system (9, 10) that can be rotated in a recording plane around a turning center (17) by means of a C-arm (7) and with which, through rotating of the C-arm (7), a plurality of radioscopic images of a region (14) of interest in an object (13) positioned on an object positioning facility (15) are recorded at different rotation angles, from which images one or more cross-sectional images or a three-dimensional image of a region (14) in the object can be reconstructed. With the method, the C-arm (7) is compliantly repositioned in a collision-free manner in synchronism with the rotation such that the region (14) of interest in an object will, at least at each rotation angle at which image recording takes place, be located within a cone beam (16) of an X-ray bundle of the image recording system (9, 10).

Abstract: Guidewire for catheters which can be inserted into cavities, preferably coronary vessels of humans or animals, said guidewire being provided with electromagnetic receive or transmit locate to position its position in conjunction with corresponding external electromagnetic transmit or receive antennas, as well as with signal lines guiding the processing unit controlling the transmit antennas or transmit coils.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical diagnostic system having two C-arms which are adjustable with the aid of two drive means and serve as retaining devices for one medical measuring system in each case. At least one evaluation unit and at least one display element are provided for each medical measuring system. The first measuring system is an X-ray measuring system comprising an X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector and has a high spatial resolution. The second measuring system is a nuclear medicine measuring system for visualizing tissue functions. Accurate and rapid medical diagnoses and interventions are possible based on image information generated by both measuring systems.

Abstract: The invention relates to an angiographic x-ray diagnostic device for rotation angiography with an x-ray emitter which can be moved on a circular path about a patient located on a patient support table, with an image detector unit which can moved on the circular path facing the x-ray emitter, with a digital image system for recording a plurality of projection images by means of rotation angiography, with a device for image processing, by means of which the projection images are reconstructed into a 3D volume image, and with a device for correcting physical effects and/or inadequacies in the recording system such as truncation correction, scatter correction, ring artifact correction, correction of the beam hardening and/or of the low frequency drop for the soft tissue display of projection images and the 3D volume images resulting therefrom.

Abstract: An intuitively manageable method for adjusting at least one parameter (X) that determines the image quality of an X-ray image produced by an X-ray device (1) is provided, wherein, on a user interface (18) of the X-ray device (1) a setting zone (25) for the parameter (X) is shown pictorially, and in relation to the setting zone (25) the current setting (Xact) of the parameter (X) is likewise shown pictorially. At least two sub-zones (32, 33, 34) of the setting zone (25) are differentiated from each other by color, wherein a first sub-zone (32) corresponds to a parameter-setting that guarantees good image quality and a second sub-zone (34) corresponds to a parameter-setting that is critical for the image quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for registering intra-operative image data set with pre-operative 3D image data set, including: spatially calibrating an optical 3D sensor system with an intra-operative imaging modality, intra-operatively detecting the surface of an examination area of interest with the 3D sensor system to produce an intra-operative surface mask, intra-operatively recording the area of interest for examination with the intra-operative modality at least partly containing the intra-operative surface mask to obtain an intra-operative image data set, computing the same surface from the pre-operative 3D image data set containing the detected surface to obtain a pre-operative surface mask, registering the intra-operative and pre-operative surface mask with each other, determining a mapping specification between pre-operative 3D image data set and intra-operative image data set based on the calibration and the registration, and overlaying the intra-operative image data set with the pre-operative

Abstract: A method or workflow for heart valve emplacement provides a planning stage in which the patient is imaged using a C-arm computed tomography-like image system to obtain a electrocardiogram gating image that is measured to determine a size of a prosthetic heart valve for use on the patient. A deployment stage provides that the selected heart valve prosthesis is inserted into the patient via minimally invasive procedures and is positioned at the location where it is to be anchored, and while still in a non-expanded state an image is obtained to determine if the prosthesis is properly positioned for expansion. The prosthesis is expanded so that it becomes anchored in position. In an assessment stage, an image is obtained to determine if the expanded valve prosthesis is in the desired position. If necessary, the prosthesis is moved or further expanded. A final assessment image may be obtained to check the final position.

Abstract: An x-ray diagnostics method is specified, in particular for use in angiography and cardiology, by means of which a particularly good image quality can be achieved in an easily manageable manner for the patient (P) and the medical personnel, at the same time as a comparatively low radiation exposure. Furthermore, a specific x-ray device (1) for implementing the method comprising an x-ray emitter (2), an x-ray detector (3) and a control unit (10) is specified to control the x-ray emitter (2). In this way the control unit (10) is allocated an operating element (15), by means of which a control parameter (S) characterizing the image quality, the detector input dose or the contrast noise ratio can be continuously varied, as a function of which a number of recording parameters (U,I,t,F) are set by means of the control device (10).

Abstract: A computer receives a plurality of two-dimensional fluoroscopy images of an examination object, capture time points and projection parameters and combines the images into image groups. Each image group contains all the images, the capture time point of which is between a minimum and a maximum time point specific to the respective image group. When the image groups are sorted by ascending minimum time points, the corresponding maximum time points form a strictly monotonously ascending order. The respective minimum and maximum time points are determined so that the computer reconstructs a three-dimensional object reconstruction of the examination object based on the images assigned to the respective image group. A respective two-dimensional reconstruction display is determined by the respective three-dimensional object reconstruction and outputted to a user in a coding specific to the respective image group by a display device.