Abstract: A method for planning left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion for a patient includes obtaining acquisition data from a medical imaging system, and generating a 3D model of the left atrium of the patient. One or more left atrial anatomical landmarks are identified on the 3D model, and saved views of the 3D model are registered on an interventional system. One or more of the registered saved views are visualized with the interventional system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a reformatted medical diagnostic image of a physical structure of the body including obtaining a plurality of axial images of the physical structure of the body and automatically selecting a plurality of points from the plurality of axial images of the physical structure of the body using an algorithm, wherein the plurality of points define a path associated with the physical structure of the body. The systems and methods also including automatically generating a curved reformatted image of the physical structure of the body along the path associated with the physical structure of the body. The systems and methods further including displaying the curved reformatted image of the physical structure of the body for diagnostic purposes.

Abstract: An imaging system for use in medical intervention procedure planning includes a medical scanner system for generating a volume of cardiac image data, a data acquisition system for acquiring the volume of cardiac image data, an image generation system for generating a viewable image from the volume of cardiac image data, a database for storing information from the data acquisition and image generation systems, an operator interface system for managing the medical scanner system, the data acquisition system, the image generation system, and the database, and a post-processing system for analyzing the volume of cardiac image data, displaying the viewable image and being responsive to the operator interface system. The operator interface system includes instructions for using the volume of cardiac image data and the viewable image for bi-ventricular pacing planning, atrial fibrillation procedure planning, or atrial flutter procedure planning.

Abstract: A method for providing diagnostic information regarding a coronary artery includes performing a Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the coronary artery to obtain structural data regarding the artery, performing a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan of the coronary artery to obtain functional data regarding the artery, and combining the structural data with the functional data in a single image.

Abstract: A method for rapid extraction and visualization of relevant data from a volume of image data includes rapidly producing reduced-fidelity images derived from an image volume, the reduced fidelity images having an adjustable visual parameter; adjusting the visual parameter of the reduced-fidelity images during the rapid production to select a desired adjustment; producing a full-fidelity image derived from the image volume; and applying the selected adjustment to the full-fidelity image.

Abstract: A method for associating EKG waveform data with computed tomography image data using a data synchronization scheme including generating the EKG waveform data using an electrocardiogram device, operating a computed tomography imaging system so as to create the computed tomography image data, communicating an exposure marker-in signal to the electrocardiogram device such that the exposure marker-in signal is associated with the EKG waveform data and processing the computed tomography image data, the EKG waveform data and the exposure marker-in signal, so as to correlate the EKG waveform data with the computed tomography image data. Also claimed is a medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for associating EKG waveform data with image data generated by an imaging system using a data synchronization scheme, the medium including instructions for causing controller to implement the aforementioned method.

Abstract: A method of creating 3D models to be used for cardiac interventional procedure planning. Acquisition data is obtained from a medical imaging system and cardiac image data is created in response to the acquisition data. A 3D model is created in response to the cardiac image data and three anatomical landmarks are identified on the 3D model. The 3D model is sent to an interventional system where the 3D model is in a format that can be imported and registered with the interventional system.

Abstract: A database is created that contains a plurality of data items gathered from many human beings wherein the data items affect the heart rate of a patient during a CT imaging procedure. Regression analysis is performed on the data in the database to derive an algorithm which defines an predicted heart rate value as a function of the plurality of data items. Specifically, values for the plurality of data items are obtained for the particular patient to be imaged and the algorithm is applied to those data items to predict the patient's heart rate which will occur during the CT imaging procedure. The predicted heart rate is employed to defined operating parameters of the CT procedure, such as the rate at which the x-ray source and detector rotate around a patient and the speed at which the patient moves through the imaging plane.

Abstract: A database is created that contains a plurality of data items gathered from many human beings wherein the data items affect the heart rate of a patient during a CT imaging procedure. Regression analysis is performed on the data in the database to derive an algorithm which defines an predicted heart rate value as a function of the plurality of data items. Specifically, values for the plurality of data items are obtained for the particular patient to be imaged and the algorithm is applied to those data items to predict the patient's heart rate which will occur during the CT imaging procedure. The predicted heart rate is employed to defined operating parameters of the CT procedure, such as the rate at which the x-ray source and detector rotate around a patient and the speed at which the patient moves through the imaging plane.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an optimally registered working set of two-dimensional CT images in a gated CT system, the method including, where an acquisition period is divided into sequential acquisition phases, obtaining CT image data for separate phase ranges during each acquisition phase, generating phase image sets including 2D images for each phase range and selecting one phase range image set corresponding to each acquisition phase to generate a working image set where the selected phase range image sets are optimally aligned.