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 system (900), method (100, 200) and apparatus (600, 700, 800) are provided for analyzing a blood flow in a vascular system from a dynamic diagnostic observation sequence (101) to determine blood flow parameters (112) for further determination of filters, replay speed and finally visualization of the replayed original and filtered sequences. A first embodiment (100) extracts features of the observation and uses these features to select an appropriate model from a database of pre-determined models of vascular system of interest which have associated parameters. These parameters are varied to create an instance of the model that best matches the original observation. A second embodiment (200) visualizes a replay of the original observation (101) and the observation (101?) predicted by the model to highlight differences therebetween. A third embodiment (800) provides filtering and control of the replay speed.

Abstract: Despite intense research activities in the field of computer-aided diagnosis methods of computer vision, automated classification or comparable algorithmic solutions are not regularly used and even less regularly trusted by physicians. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a confidence interval of the performed diagnosis is visualized and a standardized feedback mechanism is provided which allows for an interactive improvement of the method.

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: A medical imaging system in which a current (X-ray) image (8) of a body volume is selected for association with one of several stored images (1Oa5IOb), the ECG and the respiratory cycle being determined each time together with the images. First and second static images (R1,R2) of the body volume in first and second extreme respiratory states are provided, and first and second respective similarity values (r1,r2) are determined for each current and previous image so as to calculate the respiratory phase of the body volume therein. Using this data, one of the previous images (10a) is chosen which is closest to the current image (8) in respect of cardiac rhythm and cycle.

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 (Pl, 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 present invention relates to an apparatus for determining 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, an apparatus is proposed comprising: identification means (41) for identification of a vessel tree topology of vessels feeding said target area, flow determination means (42) for determining the percentage of drug material delivered to said target after injection into different potential injection points in said vessel tree, selection means (43) for selecting as optimal injection point the potential injection point resulting in the highest percentage of drug delivery to said target.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for ablating tissue in a heart (24) of a subject (25) during an ablation procedure is disclosed. The method includes contacting an ablation catheter tip (48) to tissue of the heart (24) at a plurality of sites designated for ablation; sensing at each respective site a feedback signal from the ablation catheter indicative of success of the intended local ablation; storing any available data defining a current position of the ablation catheter tip (48) relative to the heart (24) at a moment of sensing the feedback signal indicative of a failed intended ablation for later re-visit; displaying a map (60) of a region of interest of the heart (24); and designating, on the map display (60), indications of the sites corresponding to when the required electrical current is above the threshold current value indicative of a gap in an ablation line or ring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for the guidance of a catheter (20) with an electrode (21) in an electrophysiological procedure. A sequence of images (I1, . . . Ik, . . . ) of the catheter (20) and of a resting reference catheter (30) is generated with an X-ray device (10) and stored together with the associated electrographic recordings from the electrodes (21, 31). A reference image (Ik) may then be selected from said sequence that corresponds to a desired electrographic pattern (Ek). In a next step, the positions (T, R) of the catheters (20, 30) are localized on the reference image (Ik), wherein the position (R) of the reference catheter (30) can be identified with the position of this catheter (30) on an actual image (I). Thus it is possible to determine on the actual image also a target position (T? for the catheter (20) that corresponds to the position (T) of this catheter (20) on the reference image (Ik).

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 (z0) at which the structure (4) is positioned in the body volume (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and to a method for superimposed display of current (X-ray) image (A) of an object (8), such as a catheter for example, and a map image (B) of the vascular system. In this connection, for map images (B) archived in a memory (6) the associated distance images (D) are calculated by means of a distance transformation (A). In the current image (A) the object (8) is segmented (?). By means of the distance image (D), a transformation of the map image (B) is then calculated, so that, when the current image (A) and the transformed map image (?(B)) are superimposed on a monitor (10), the image of the object (8) lies in the path network of the transformed map image.