Abstract: A method includes determining, via a processor, functional information about tissue of interest in image data for a functional image acquisition based on reference information generated based on non-tissue of interest.

Abstract: Diagnostic angiograms only provide the projected lumen of a coronary, which is only an indirect measure of blood flow and pressure decline. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics and a pressure decline for stenosis grading is provided, in which the motion compensation is performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the projection data set. This may provide for a robust and precise flow dynamics and pressure decline determination.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining both first inflow and first perfusion metrics for non-healthy tissue of interest, obtaining both second inflow and second perfusion metrics for healthy tissue of interest, and concurrently presenting both the first flow and perfusion metrics for the non-healthy tissue of interest and both the second flow and perfusion metrics for the healthy tissue of interest.

Abstract: An apparatus determines an injection point for targeted drug delivery into a patient's body by injection of the drug into a vessel feeding a target area including a target. To provide the interventionalist with an objective and quantitative assessment of potential drug injection points instead of letting him rely on his subjective impression from the visual inspection of DSA sequences, a processor (4) includes an identification routine (41) for identification of a vessel tree topology of vessels feeding the target area, a flow determination routine (42) for determining the percentage of drug material delivered to said target after injection into different potential injection points in the vessel tree, a selection routine (43) for selecting as optimal injection point the potential injection point resulting in the highest percentage of drug delivery to the target.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to automatically assess a confidence in imaging data based on a proposed diagnostic task or treatment decision, by determining one or more imaging quality indicators relating to the imaging data corresponding to a confidence of the proposed diagnostic task or treatment decision, comparing those imaging quality indicators with confidence benchmark values, and determining a confidence value indicative of the confidence in the imaging data for purposes of performing the proposed diagnostic task or making the proposed treatment decision.

Abstract: A comprehensive strategy is used to determine valid reference time-concentration curves (TCCs) from image data. The image data corresponds to a series of image scans acquired over time for an area of interest of a patient to which a contrast agent was previously administered. The image scans are initially registered to a common coordinate system. Then, observed potential reference TCCs in the image scans are compared to modeled reference TCCs to determine if the potential reference TCCs are plausible reference TCCs. Thereafter, any plausible reference TCCs are evaluated to determine if they contain residual, isolated motion artifacts. If a plausible reference TCC does not include any motion artifacts, the plausible reference TCC is considered a valid reference TCC. If a plausible reference TCC is determined to include motion artifacts, the plausible reference TCC is modified to a valid reference TCC by removing the motion artifacts, or otherwise the plausible reference TCC is rejected.

Abstract: Adaptively controlling an imaging system (200, 205) includes constructing model feature characteristics (105) of a process over time, determining parameters and commands (110) for controlling the imaging system for each state of the process, performing data acquisition (120) for the process, extracting current features (130) of the process from the acquired data, matching (135) the current features (130) with the model feature characteristics (105) to determine a state of the process (140), and controlling the data acquisition based on the state of the process to produce optimized data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotational X-ray device (100), for example a CT scanner, for generating phase contrast images of an object (1). In a particular embodiment of the device (100), a plurality of X-ray sources (11), an X-ray detector (30), and an analyzer grating (G2) are attached to a rotatable gantry (20), while a ring-shaped phase grating (G1 is stationary. The X-ray sources are disposed such that X-rays first pass an object under study before traversing the phase grating (G1) and subsequently the analyzer grating (G2). This is achieved by either shifting the X-ray sources axially with respect to the ring-shaped phase grating (G1) or by disposing the X-ray sources in the interior of the ring. Moreover, the phase grating (G1) and the analyzer (G2) shall have spatially varying relative phase (and/or periodicity), for example realized by line grids that are tilted with respect to each other.

Abstract: A system includes a perfusion information determiner (124) that determines perfusion information based on a combination of pre-perfusion scan image data and perfusion scan image data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for locating a mirror line for conducting a mirror analysis of an image by reflecting extracted image content from a portion of the image on one side of the mirror line and overlaying this reflected image content onto the corresponding portion of the image on the opposing side of the mirror line. The extracted image content that is reflected onto the corresponding portion of the image on the opposite side of the mirror line is continuously updated in real-time as the user manipulates the location or orientation of the mirror line.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a tube system in particular by image processing of images of the tube system is provided by the present invention. In order to achieve a simulation of a medium flow through a calculated tube model, the present invention gathers a tube model from a specific tube data set. By defining the necessary parameters of a virtual injection of the medium by the user, the medium flows through the model. Using this displayed simulation for generating at least two images leads to an artificial image sequence that might support a person, which wants to examine a real structure, that corresponds to the calculated model. This might be seen in.

Abstract: A method for acquiring X-ray image data of an imaging volume is disclosed, the method using a detector and a distributed X-ray source structure having a plurality of single source elements, which are uniformly distributed with a common pitch to each other, the method comprises moving the distributed X-ray source structure and/or the detector with respect to the imaging volume, importantly, the maximum moving distance dmax of the distributed X-ray source structure during the acquisition of the X-ray image data is limited to the length lp of the pitch. Emitting of X-rays from the distributed X-ray source structure and generating a plurality of signals in response to the X-rays incident upon the detector are executed during the movement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for the investigation of a body volume (3), particularly for the diagnosis of breast cancer According to the method, a sequence of X-ray projections (P, P?) from different directions is produced by a rotatable X-ray source (1) and a stationary digital X-ray detector (5). From these projections (P, P?), a set of sectional images (a, b, c, d) is calculated by tomosynthesis. A physician may indicate a suspicious structure on a reference image (R) that is derived from one of the projections (P, P?) or sectional images (a, b, c, d) and displayed on a monitor (6). The computer (7) may then locate the structure on all sectional images (a, b, c, d) and calculate the similarity of a corresponding image feature. The sectional 10 image at which the similarity is strongest then indicates the depth (zo) at which the structure (4) is positioned in the body volume (3).

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: In a system and a method for the guidance of a catheter with an electrode in an electrophysiological procedure, sequence of images of the catheter and of a resting reference catheter is generated with an X-ray device and stored together with the associated electrographic recordings from the electrodes. A reference image may then be selected from said sequence that corresponds to a desired electrographic pattern. In a next step, the positions of the catheters are localized on the reference image. The position of the reference catheter can be identified with the position of this catheter on an actual image. Thus it is possible to determine on the actual image also a target position for the catheter that corresponds to the position of this catheter on the reference image. The target position may finally be indicated on a monitor to assist the guidance of the catheter to a desired location.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for the simultaneous reconstruction of the three-dimensional vessel geometry and the flow characteristics in a vessel system. According to one realization of the method, vessel segments (41) of a parametric models are fitted to differently oriented X-ray projections (P1, Pk, PN) of the vessel system that are generated during the passage of a bolus of contrast agent, wherein the fitting takes the imaged contrast agent dynamics and physiological a priori knowledge into account. In an alternative embodiment, the vessel geometry is reconstructed progressively along each vessel, wherein a new segment of a vessel is added based on the continuity of the vessel direction, vessel radius and reconstructed contrast agent dynamics.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (100) for computing a risk, the risk relating to injuring an anatomical structure by a medical device during a medical procedure, the system comprising: a structure unit (110) for obtaining a position of the anatomical structure; a device unit (120) for obtaining a position of the medical device; and a risk unit (130) for computing the risk relating to injuring the anatomical structure, based on the position of the medical device and the position of the anatomical structure. The system (100) may be used for planning a path of a medical device, which path minimizes said risk, or for monitoring said risk during the medical procedure.

Abstract: A method for acquiring fusion images of a periodically moving body organ and an apparatus adapted to implement such method is described. In a preferred embodiment of the method, X-rays are irradiated to the body organ and a multiplicity of mask images is acquired by X-ray detection at a high image acquisition rate of at least 60 frames per second. Then, contrast medium is injected into vessels of the body organ and subsequently at least one contrast image of the body organ with the contrast medium included in the vessels is acquired by X-ray detection. A matching image from the multiplicity of mask images is determined which has been acquired at substantially the same stage of the movement of the body organ as the contrast image. By calculating the difference between the matching mask image and the at least one contrast image a subtraction image of the body organ can be obtained and displayed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for displaying a vessel (2) with the aid of intravascular ultrasound images (I). A sequence of intravascular ultrasound images (I(E,x)) is generated by means of a probe (5) and stored in a memory (10) in a manner indexed by the associated location (x) where they were generated and also the associated heartbeat phase (E) and/or breathing phase. During a subsequent medical intervention, those ultrasound images (I1, I2, I3) which best correspond to the heartbeat phase of a current fluoroscopic image (At) or belong to the current stopping location of a catheter (13) can be selected from the memory (10) and displayed on a monitor (12).

Abstract: Diagnostic angiograms only provide the projected lumen of a coronary, which is only an indirect measure of blood flow and pressure decline. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics and a pressure decline for stenosis grading is provided, in which the motion compensation is performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the projection data set. This may provide for a robust and precise flow dynamics and pressure decline determination.