Abstract: A method is for determining a vessel puncture position including reception of a first image dataset of a region of interest via an interface, the first image dataset mapping the vessel. The method further includes determination of a vessel line of the vessel based on the first image dataset via a computing unit. The method further includes determination of a gradient measure based on the vessel line. Finally, the method includes a determination of the vessel puncture position based on the gradient measure. A position-determining unit, a computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium are for determining a vessel puncture position.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for determining a stiffness information of a medical instrument used during a minimally invasive interventional procedure in a vascular system of a patient by recording a three-dimensional volume image of the vascular system at least in the intervention region.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for improved safer planning support during interventional procedures for inserting stents into a hollow organ of a patient by a guide device. One method includes: providing or recording a three-dimensional image data set of the hollow organ in a first position; segmentation or providing a segmentation of the three-dimensional image data set; providing or recording a two-dimensional image of the guide device introduced into the hollow organ; overlaying the three-dimensional image data set with the two-dimensional image; determining at least one corrected position of one or more section(s) of the hollow organ respectively using the overlaying of the three-dimensional image data set with the two-dimensional image; and determining the respective deformation energy of the hollow organ in the section(s) for the case of removal of the guide device using the previously determined corrected position compared to the first position.

Abstract: A method for acquiring and processing image data of an examination object is provided. A three-dimensional bone model and a three-dimensional blood vessel model are provided. A two-dimensional, first X-ray image and a two-dimensional, second X-ray image of the examination region are acquired having a same image geometry. The first X-ray image is subtracted from the second X-ray image to provide a subtraction image. A first intermediate registration of the first X-ray image is determined in relation to the bone model, and a second intermediate registration of the subtraction image is determined in relation to the blood vessel model. A transformation function that images the first intermediate registration onto the second intermediate registration is determined. A third X-ray image of the examination region is acquired. A bone registration of the third X-ray image in relation to the bone model is determined.

Abstract: A method is provided for image monitoring during an interventional procedure by at least one instrument in a patient's vascular system having vessels. The method includes checking, using positional data of the instrument, whether at least a part of the instrument lies outside of the vessels described by the vascular dataset. If at least a part of the instrument lies outside of the vessel through which the instrument is guided and which is described by the vascular dataset, the method further includes determining an adjusted centerline for the vessel in such a way that the part of the instrument molds itself to fit the boundary of the vessel described by the adjusted centerline, updating the vascular dataset on the basis of the adjusted centerline, and determining the overlay image from the updated vascular dataset.

Abstract: A puncturing needle holder is attached to a flat-panel x-ray detector such that it is visible in the x-ray image as a point. The point can involve the crossing area of two struts, which are attached to the flat-panel x-ray detector. Mappings are created in which on the one hand a region of the body to be punctured and on the other hand the point created by the puncturing needle holder are mapped by the x-ray images created with the flat-panel x-ray detector. The x-ray C-arm is moved until such time as precisely the puncturing needle holder is shown in the mapping so that it points to the region of the body to be punctured. Subsequent puncturing can then be carried out in a number of different ways.

Abstract: A method is provided for image monitoring during an interventional procedure by at least one instrument in a patient's vascular system having vessels. The method includes checking, using positional data of the instrument, whether at least a part of the instrument lies outside of the vessels described by the vascular dataset. If at least a part of the instrument lies outside of the vessel through which the instrument is guided and which is described by the vascular dataset, the method further includes determining an adjusted centerline for the vessel in such a way that the part of the instrument molds itself to fit the boundary of the vessel described by the adjusted centerline, updating the vascular dataset on the basis of the adjusted centerline, and determining the overlay image from the updated vascular dataset.

Abstract: An angiographic examination method for performing a subtraction angiography for the detection of microembolizations includes capturing at least one pre-operative pre-contrast image and at least one pre-operative post-contrast image having a vascular tree filled with contrast medium. The method also includes subtracting the pre-contrast image and the post-contrast image in order to produce a pre-operative subtraction image. The method includes capturing at least one post-operative post-contrast image having a vascular tree filled with contrast medium, and subtracting a pre-contrast image and the post-operative post-contrast image in order to produce a post-operative subtraction image. The method also includes subtracting the pre-operative subtraction image and the post-operative subtraction image in order to produce a third subtraction image, and reproducing the third subtraction image.

Abstract: An angiographic examination method for depicting a target region as an examination object using an angiography system includes capturing a volume data set of the target region with the examination object, registering the volume data set to a C-arm, and extracting information about an assumed course of the examination object in the volume data set. The method also includes generating a 2D projection image of a medical instrument in the target region, 2D/3D merging the 2D projection image and the registered volume data set for generating a 2D overlay image, and detecting the instrument in the 2D overlay image with a first projection matrix. The method includes generating a virtual 2D projection using a virtual projection matrix, 3D reconstructing the instrument, and distorting at least part of the reference image such that the current and the assumed course of vessels are made to be congruent.

Abstract: A method for computing a color-coded analysis image of an examination area of an examination object from a temporal sequence of fluoroscopic images of the examination area comprising a vascular system containing arteries and/or veins is provided. An acquisition time instant has been assigned to each of the fluoroscopic images representing a given distribution of a material embolizing some of the vascular system. The fluoroscopic image spatially corresponds to an analysis image pixel by pixel. A computer receives the fluoroscopic images with a color attribute assigned to each pixel of the analysis image at an image point and a time instant. If a pixel differs from a pixel at a preceding time instant, the color attribute assumes a color attribute of the time instant and the difference. If a pixel corresponds to a background color of the analysis image, the color attribute assumes a background color.

Abstract: In a method for fluoroscopy controlled insertion of a stent into a curved aorta for aneurysm repair, a 3D volume image is obtained of a patient's aorta at the aneurysm. By knowing a registration of the 3D volume image to a C-arm of an angiographic system and projection geometry of the angiography system, the 3D volume images are projected to a 2D fluoroscopy image of the angiography system. For the 2D3D overlay, the 3D volume image is displayed as a curved planar reconstruction in which the 2D fluoroscopy image and the 3D volume image are warped around a curved center line of the curved aorta or around a curved guide instrument center line to correct for the curvature of the aorta so that the previously curved aorta center line or curved center line of the guide instrument turns into a straight line to visualize insertion of the stent.

Abstract: A method and a device for reference image adapting in the field of fluoroscopy-controlled interventional repair of abdominal aortic aneurisms on angiography systems are proposed. Displacements which can be brought about as a result of introducing instruments, such as when a stent is deployed in an aorta, are automatically corrected. It is also possible to correct such displacements which initially cannot be perceived in the image due to the angle of view.

Abstract: An angiography system for angiographic examination of a patient is provided. The system has an x-ray emitter and an x-ray image detector attached to the ends of a C-arm, a patient support couch, a system control unit, an image system and a monitor. The system control unit generates a mask image that detects a reference image, effects a registration of the reference image to the C-arm, whereby if necessary a segmentation of the examination object is implemented in the reference image, contrasts image regions lying inside of the segmentation in order to generate a mask image, and subtracts the mask image from fluoroscopy live images acquired by the angiography system without contrast agent in order to form a roadmap image. The image system effects a reproduction of the roadmap images on the monitor.

Abstract: An angiography system for angiographic examination or treatment of an organ, vascular system or other regions of an object of a patient is proposed. The system has an x-ray source and an x-ray image detector disposed at ends of a C-arm, a patient support table, a system control unit, an image system, and a monitor. The object contains two details hiding each other in the x-ray images depending on angulation of the C-arm. The system control unit has a device that detects a 3D dataset of the object registered to the C-arm and detects the information about a course of the object. The device calculates a desired and/or optimum angulation of the C-arm from the detected information and transfers the calculated angulation to the system control unit for adjusting the C-arm to the angulation.

Abstract: A determination method for reinitialization of a temporal sequence of fluoroscopic images of an examination region of an examination object is provided. The examination region comprises a vascular system including arteries and/or veins. An acquisition time is assigned to each of the images representing a given distribution of a substance in the examination region at the acquisition time. A computer receives the temporal sequence of the images, determines an evaluation image corresponding spatially on a pixel-by-pixel basis to the images, and calculates a differential value between a pixel of the evaluation image at a time and a pixel at a preceding time during a time characteristic of the sequence. A reinitialization of the temporal sequence of the images is performed at a specific time and thereafter the determination method is started over and/or repeated. The specific time is determined as a function of at least one previously calculated differential value.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking a needle in a fluoroscopic image sequence is disclosed. In order to track a needle in a fluoroscopic image sequence, the needle is initialized in a first frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. Needle segments are detected in each subsequent frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence, and the needle is detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image by tracking the needle from a previous frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence based on the detected needle segments in the current frame.

Abstract: A method for displaying a vessel of a particular biological subject is proposed. The particular object is inserted into the vessel. The deformation of the vessel is predicted by an inserted object on the basis of experience. This experience is quantified by assigning values to particular parameters, the parameters providing information concerning characteristics of the patient, characteristics of his/her vessel and information about the interventional instrument inserted.

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: A method for the merged display of first image information captured using a first imaging device with second image information captured using a second imaging device is provided. The first imaging device records fluorescence images of the area under examination. A second 3D image data record of the area under examination is recorded using an examination procedure based on electromagnetic radiation, such as computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The 3D fluorescence image data record and the second 3D image data record are registered with one another, and one or more fluorescence-optically marked, relevant areas of the examination volume, on the basis of the mapping rules determined by the registration process, are displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is described for determining the location of a object inside a patient. Three dimensional image data of the patient is obtained by an imaging modality such as a C-arm X-ray device. The same or another imaging modality may be used to obtain projection radiographic images, having a coordinate system that can be registered with respect to that of the three dimensional image. The location of one or more features of a medical treatment device such as a needle or a catheter introduced into the imaging filed of view is determined either by an operator or by image analysis, in at least two projection radiographic images, and the position of the feature located in the three-dimensional volume. The projection on a radiographic image of a vector joining a first and a second position is used to assist in guiding the medical treatment device inside of the patient.