Abstract: A method for dynamically visualizing coronary information and an apparatus adapted to implement such method is described. In a preferred embodiment of the method, first dynamic cardiac data is acquired during a first cardiac stage and second dynamic cardiac data is acquired during a second cardiac stage. Then, the two data sets are visualized continuously the in a superimposed presentation, wherein the first cardiac data and the second cardiac data corresponding to a same phase within the cardiac cycle are visualized simultaneously. In this way for example information about the vessel geometry may be immediately linked with information about the muscle irrigation or perfusion. Furthermore, this useful information may be displayed in a high-contrasted and low-noise presentation.

Abstract: Method of image processing, the method comprises providing a sequence (2) of images (F) which have contrast modulation (100) along said sequence (2); providing a reference frequency (fm, 10) related to said contrast modulations (100) along said sequence (2); and filtering said sequence of images depending on said reference frequency (fm, 10). According to an embodiment, a windowed harmonic filtering is applied to the sequence of input images to extract fundamental in-phase (122) and quadrature (124) components at a heart beat frequency (fm). The resultant time-signal phase is displayed (34) as image sequence.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are provided for measuring and removing the influence of pulsatility on contrast agent flow in a region of interest of a vascular system of a patient. Once the change of blood speed over the cardiac cycle is known (pulsatility), this influence is removed from acquired image sequence for outcome control such that “quasi-stationary”, regular flow acquisition is passed on to subsequent visualization and analysis processes. A contrast agent injector is also provided that simultaneously measures and uses ECG to inject a known contrast agent at a fixed point over the cardiac cycle or such that a known amount of contrast agent will arrive at a known time at a region of interest in the vasculature of a patient, thus controlling one of the main unwanted variables in an acquisition of blood flow sequences.

Abstract: A medical viewing system for processing and displaying a sequence of medical angiograms representing a balloon, moving in an artery, this system comprising extracting means for automatically extracting balloon image data in a phase of balloon expansion, and computing means for automatically defining and storing coordinates of a Region of Interest (ROI) based on the expanded balloon image data, located around the expanded balloon; and display means for displaying the images. Contrast agent may be used as agent of balloon expansion. The system may have means to detect and keep track of balloon markers and means to look around those markers for further balloon image data extraction.

Abstract: A method for dynamically visualizing coronary information and an apparatus adapted to implement such method is described. In a preferred embodiment of the method, first dynamic cardiac data is acquired during a first cardiac stage and second dynamic cardiac data is acquired during a second cardiac stage. Then, the two data sets are visualized continuously the in a superimposed presentation, wherein the first cardiac data and the second cardiac data corresponding to a same phase within the cardiac cycle are visualized simultaneously. In this way for example information about the vessel geometry may be immediately linked with information about the muscle irrigation or perfusion. Furthermore, this useful information may be displayed in a high-contrasted and low-noise presentation.

Abstract: An image of a physical object is produced by receiving a plurality of raw images, dividing the plurality of raw images into a first subset of primary images and a second subset of secondary images according to a predetermined criterion. From the first subset of primary images an intermediate image is determined while from the second subset of secondary images a mask image is determined. Afterwards a registration of the intermediate image and the mask image is performed by using direct registration of predetermined features present in the intermediate image and the mask image. A fused image of the physical object is generated out of the mask image and the intermediate image.

Abstract: A method for use in a medical viewing system for processing for display a sequence of images of a medical intervention comprising manipulating a tool such as a stent (25) within an artery. Two markers (21, 22) are provided on the tool support (10) and the method includes extracting these markers (21, 22) to yield marker location information, from which tool location information can be derived. The image of the tool within the sequence of images is then enhanced relative to the background. The background can be additionally blurred by simulating or effecting relative movement of the image detector and the stent (25) by, for example, zooming in on the stent (25) or rotating the detector relative thereto, during acquisition of the sequence of images.

Abstract: A three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) system, in which a finite element method (FEM) package is incorporated which can read in surface meshes (20b) of a reconstructed 3DRA image of an aneurysm to generate FEM meshes (20a) which are closely approximated to the observed aneurysm (20b) in an iterative process by changing the material properties of the aneurysm used in generating the simulated representations (20a) thereof. Thus, the material properties of the closely approximated simulated representation (20a) can be used in subsequent analysis of the physical properties of the aneurysm under consideration.

Abstract: Images of static vascular maps (B), which were taken at different phases of the cardiac cycle and/or the respiratory cycle and were archived in a memory (6), are superimposed on a current image (A) of a catheter (2, 8) in the vascular system (9). In the method, a defined section of a map image (B) around the estimated actual position of the catheter is selected and is displayed superimposed on the current image (A) on a monitor (10). The map image (B) used for this is preferably selected by an electrocardiogram to match the particular cardiac cycle. The position of the catheter relative to the map image (B) is estimated using a distance image (D).

Abstract: Method of image processing, the method comprises providing a sequence (2) of images (F) which have contrast modulation (100) along said sequence (2); providing a reference frequency (fm, 10) related to said contrast modulations (100) along said sequence (2); and filtering said sequence of images depending on said reference frequency (fm, 10). According to an embodiment, a windowed harmonic filtering is applied to the sequence of input images to extract fundamental in-phase (122) and quadrature (124) components at a heart beat frequency (fm). The resultant time-signal phase is displayed (34) as image sequence.

Abstract: A three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) system, in which a finite element method (FEM) package is incorporated which can read in surface meshes (20b) of a reconstructed 3DRA image of an aneurysm to generate FEM meshes (20a) which are closely approximated to the observed aneurysm (20b) in an iterative process by changing the material properties of the aneurysm used in generating the simulated representations (20a) thereof. Thus, the material properties of the closely approximated simulated representation (20a) can be used in subsequent analysis of the physical properties of the aneurysm under consideration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an image processing system (20) for the evaluation of projection images (25) generated by an X-ray imaging system (10), wherein the images (25) may show different instruments (51, 52) of a given set of interventional instruments like catheters or guide wires. The instruments are equipped with markers such that their configuration is characteristic of the corresponding instrument (51, 52). Preferably three markers are arranged on a straight line, the ratio of the distances between them being characteristic for the corresponding instrument. The image processing system (20) may then identify the instruments (51, 52) present in a given projection (25) and provide functionalities for a user that correspond to said instruments. Moreover, the system may be used to locate an instrument (51, 52) of interest in a projection image (25) if the marker configuration of that instrument (51, 52) is known a priori.

Abstract: The invention relates to a viewing system and a method for detecting an object of interest in a sequence of images (IS). Said object of interest is detected by first locating localizers related to said object of interest and by locating borders (BL) related to said object of interest using the location (LI, LZ) of said localizers. The viewing system according to the invention is able to produce a sequence of enhanced images in which the object of interest is enhanced, to measure some characteristics and to build a three dimensional representation of said object of interest. The viewing system is also able to register and combine said sequence of enhanced images with a sequence of reference images.

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment a method for producing an image of a physical object comprises receiving a plurality of raw images, dividing the plurality of raw images into a first subset of primary images and a second subset of secondary images according to a predetermined criterion. From the first subset of primary images an intermediate image is determined while from the second subset of secondary images a mask image is determined. Afterwards a registration of the intermediate image and the mask image is performed by using direct registration of predetermined features present in the intermediate image and the mask image and fused image of the physical object is generated out of the mask image and the intermediate image.

Abstract: A viewing system and method for enhancing objects of interest represented on a moving background in a sequence of noisy images and for displaying the sequence of enhanced images, comprising extracting means (11) for extracting features related to an object of interest in images of the sequence; registering means (12) for registering the features related to the object of interest with respect to the image referential, yielding registered images (13); similarity detection means for determining the resemblance of the representations of a registered object of interest in succeeding images and weighing means for modulating the intensities of the pixels of said object of interest over the images of the sequence; temporal integrating means (14, 33b) for integrating the object of interest and the background over a number, or at least two, registered images (13) of the sequence; and display means (54) for displaying the processed images (15, 45) of the enhanced registered object of interest on faded background.

Abstract: A method for use in a medical viewing system for processing for display a sequence of images of a medical intervention comprising manipulating a tool such as a stent (25) within an artery. Two markers (21, 22) are provided on the tool support (10) and the method includes extracting these markers (21, 22) to yield marker location information, from which tool location information can be derived. The image of the tool within the sequence of images is then enhanced relative to the background. The background can be additionally blurred by simulating or effecting relative movement of the image detector and the stent (25) by, for example, zooming in on the stent (25) or rotating the detector relative thereto, during acquisition of the sequence of images.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of digital subtraction angiography. An image processing method is applied to a digitized mask (100) and to a sequence of digitized opacified images (101). A logarithmic function (105) is applied to the values of the pixels of the digitized mask and to the values of the pixels of the sequence of digitized opacified images, and then a subtraction (108) is made of the logarithmic value of each pixel of a digitized opacified image from the logarithmic value of the corresponding pixel in the digitized mask. In order to improve the quality of the images processed, a processing step (102) able to decrease certain pixel values of the digitized mask and of the digitized opacified images is applied before applying the logarithmic function.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for improved display of small dark structures such as in particular coronary blood vessels in digital X-ray images. A live image (S) is initially subjected to multiscale decomposition in which firstly multiple uses of low pass filtering with subsequent resolution reduction (RED), and secondly resolution increases using subsequent low pass filtration (EXP), give detailed images (D1, D2, D3, D4) of different resolution. In accordance with the first variant of the method, a mask (M) representative of the uninteresting image background is subtracted from the detailed image (D4) having the lowest degree of resolution. This ensures that the subtraction will only comprise correspondingly coarse structures with dimensions greater than the expected image motion. A further improvement can be achieved by applying a motion estimation (MOT EST) and motion compensation (MOT COMP) to the mask (M) and to the detailed image (D4) of the lowest degree of resolution.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of digital subtraction angiography. An image processing method is applied to a digitized mask (100) and to a sequence of digitized opacified images (101). A logarithmic function (105) is applied to the values of the pixels of the digitized mask and to the values of the pixels of the sequence of digitized opacified images, and then a subtraction (108) is made of the logarithmic value of each pixel of a digitized opacified image from the logarithmic value of the corresponding pixel in the digitized mask. In order to improve the quality of the images processed, a processing step (102) able to decrease certain pixel values of the digitized mask and of the digitized opacified images is applied before applying the logarithmic function.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for improved display of small dark structures such as in particular coronary blood vessels in digital X-ray images. A live image (S) is initially subjected to multiscale decomposition in which firstly multiple uses of low pass filtering with subsequent resolution reduction (RED), and secondly resolution increases using subsequent low pass filtration (EXP), give detailed images (D1, D2, D3, D4) of different resolution. In accordance with the first variant of the method, a mask (M) representative of the uninteresting image background is subtracted from the detailed image (D4) having the lowest degree of resolution. This ensures that the subtraction will only comprise correspondingly coarse structures with dimensions greater than the expected image motion. A further improvement can be achieved by applying a motion estimation (MOT EST) and motion compensation (MOT COMP) to the mask (M) and to the detailed image (D4) of the lowest degree of resolution.