Abstract: A medical object for arrangement in an object under examination includes an optical fiber. The optical fiber is configured to contact at least one light source optically. The medical object further includes multiple photoacoustic absorbers that are arranged in sections along a direction of longitudinal extension of the optical fiber and/or along a periphery of the medical object. The multiple photoacoustic absorbers are configured to be arranged at least in part in the object under examination. The optical fiber is configured to conduct an excitation light emitted by the at least one light source to the multiple photoacoustic absorbers. The multiple photoacoustic absorbers are configured to be excited by the excitation light for the photoacoustic emission of ultrasound.

Abstract: A medical object for arrangement in an object under examination includes an optical fiber. The optical fiber is configured to contact at least one light source optically. The medical object further includes multiple photoacoustic absorbers that are arranged in sections along a direction of longitudinal extension of the optical fiber and/or along a periphery of the medical object. The multiple photoacoustic absorbers are configured to be arranged at least in part in the object under examination. The optical fiber is configured to conduct an excitation light emitted by the at least one light source to the multiple photoacoustic absorbers. The multiple photoacoustic absorbers are configured to be excited by the excitation light for the photoacoustic emission of ultrasound.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for registering a set of X-ray images with a navigation system. In the method, by a camera, at least one image of a reference object is recorded and, on the basis thereof, a current posture of the reference object is determined. It is then checked whether this posture fulfils a specified criterion, which also on an arrangement of the reference object at least partially outside a planned reconstruction volume of the X-ray device, predicts an expected successful registration. On non-fulfillment of the criterion, a signal for adaptation of a relative alignment between the X-ray device and the reference object is automatically output. On fulfillment of the criterion, the X-ray images of the reference object are recorded, the posture of the reference object is determined, and the registration is carried out using the determined postures as reference.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for registering a set of X-ray images with a navigation system. In the method, by a camera, at least one image of a reference object is recorded and, on the basis thereof, a current posture of the reference object is determined. It is then checked whether this posture fulfils a specified criterion, which also on an arrangement of the reference object at least partially outside a planned reconstruction volume of the X-ray device, predicts an expected successful registration. On non-fulfillment of the criterion, a signal for adaptation of a relative alignment between the X-ray device and the reference object is automatically output. On fulfillment of the criterion, the X-ray images of the reference object are recorded, the posture of the reference object is determined, and the registration is carried out using the determined postures as reference.

Abstract: A method and system for motion estimation modeling for cardiac and respiratory motion compensation is disclosed. Specifically, a coronary sinus catheter is tracked in a plurality of frames of a fluoroscopic image sequence; and cardiac and respiratory motion of a left atrium is estimated in each of the plurality of frames based on tracking results of the coronary sinus catheter using a trained motion estimation model.

Abstract: A method for real-time collimation and ROI-filter positioning in X-ray imaging in interventional procedures includes acquiring an image of a region-of-interest (ROI) at a beginning of a medical intervention procedure on a subject, classifying the image based on low-level features in the image to determine a type of procedure being performed, determining a list of landmarks in the image from the type of procedure being performed, and loading a pre-trained landmark model for each landmark in the list of landmarks, where landmarks include anatomical structures of the subject and medical devices being used in the medical intervention procedure, and computing collimator settings of an X-ray imaging device from ROI filter margins and bounding boxes of the landmarks calculated using the landmark models.

Abstract: A method for real-time collimation and ROI-filter positioning in X-ray imaging in interventional procedures includes acquiring an image of a region-of-interest (ROI) at a beginning of a medical intervention procedure on a subject, classifying the image based on low-level features in the image to determine a type of procedure being performed, determining a list of landmarks in the image from the type of procedure being performed, and loading a pre-trained landmark model for each landmark in the list of landmarks, where landmarks include anatomical structures of the subject and medical devices being used in the medical intervention procedure, and computing collimator settings of an X-ray imaging device from ROI filter margins and bounding boxes of the landmarks calculated using the landmark models.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting coronary vessels fluoroscopic image sequences using coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) are disclosed. A set of mask images of a coronary region is received, and a sequence of contrast images for the coronary region is received. For each contrast image, a motion estimate is calculated between each of the mask images and a background region of the contrast image and a covariance is calculated for each motion estimate. Multiple background layer predictions are generated by generating a background layer prediction for each mask image based on the calculated motion estimate and covariance. The multiple background layer estimates are combined using statistical fusion to generate a final estimated background layer. The final estimated background layer is subtracted from the contrast image to extract a coronary vessel layer for the contrast image.

Abstract: The ablation of tissue in a cardiac wall is performed by introducing an endocardial catheter into the interior of a heart and an epicardial catheter is placed on the cardiac wall. With the aid of an electromagnet and a counter-element, which can be permanently magnetized or can also be an electromagnet, the two catheters are mutually attracted in such a way that electrodes come into contact with opposite sides of the cardiac wall such that the electrodes are optimally positioned. The use of a catheter with a plurality of such electrodes in a row enables the removal of whole lines of destroyed cardiac wall tissue by ablation.

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 system for motion estimation modeling for cardiac and respiratory motion compensation is disclosed. Specifically, a coronary sinus catheter is tracked in a plurality of frames of a fluoroscopic image sequence; and cardiac and respiratory motion of a left atrium is estimated in each of the plurality of frames based on tracking results of the coronary sinus catheter using a trained motion estimation model.

Abstract: Methods and Systems for training a learning based classifier and object detection in medical images is disclosed. In order to train a learning based classifier, positive training samples and negative training samples are generated based on annotated training images. Features for the positive training samples and the negative training samples are extracted. The features include an extended Haar feature set including tip features and corner features. A discriminative classifier is trained based on the extracted features.

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 positioning a stent able to be deployed to support a vessel in a blood vessel, especially in the cardiology, with the stent after its provisional placement in a not yet deployed state in an area intended for the support of the vessel, being at least partly automatically deployed as a function of at least one triggering signal for final positioning in the blood vessel.

Abstract: A method and system for co-registration of angiography data and intra vascular ultrasound (IVUS) data is disclosed. A vessel branch is detected in an angiogram image. A sequence of IVUS images is received from an IVUS transducer while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch. A fluoroscopic image sequence is received while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch. The IVUS transducer and a guiding catheter tip are detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The IVUS transducer detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence is mapped to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image. Each of the IVUS images is registered to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image based on the mapped location of the IVUS transducer detected in a corresponding frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence.

Abstract: A system and method for obtaining perfusion images is disclosed. The system and method includes hardware and software for determining physiological characteristics of a patient and determining imaging parameter values for an imaging modality based on the patient's physiological characteristics. The system also includes a controller operative to receive the imaging parameter values for controlling an X-ray device. The X-ray device is coupled with the controller and acquires projection images of the patient, and outputs the projection images to a perfusion evaluation computer for evaluating the perfusion of an region of interest represented in the projection images. The perfusion rate of the region of interest is then output to an output device, such as a display or printer.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for assisting a percutaneous intervention, comprising an imaging system for tomographic imaging, a robot registered therewith and devices for capturing movements of the patient. A processing unit registers a 4D image dataset recorded before the intervention with a 2D or 3D image dataset of the patient which was recorded immediately before the intervention by the imaging system at a defined respiratory position. From this image data, the access path is transmitted to the robot as a function of the movements captured during recording the 4D image dataset and registration, said robot in turn, depending on the instantaneous movement data, holding the instrument on a predetermined target path and preventing the instrument from being advanced by the person if and as long as the instantaneous movement data does not match the previously recorded movement data. The arrangement reduces the risk of puncture errors.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting coronary vessels fluoroscopic image sequences using coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) are disclosed. A set of mask images of a coronary region is received, and a sequence of contrast images for the coronary region is received. For each contrast image, vessel regions are detected in the contrast image using learning-based vessel segment detection and a background region of the contrast image is determined based on the detected vessel regions. Background motion is estimated between one of the mask images and the background region of the contrast image by estimating a motion field between the mask image and the background image and performing covariance-based filtering over the estimated motion field. The mask image is then warped based on the estimated background motion to generate an estimated background layer. The estimated background layer is subtracted from the contrast image to extract a coronary vessel layer for the contrast image.

Abstract: The ablation of tissue in a cardiac wall is performed by introducing an endocardial catheter into the interior of a heart and an epicardial catheter is placed on the cardiac wall. With the aid of an electromagnet and a counter-element, which can be permanently magnetized or can also be an electromagnet, the two catheters are mutually attracted in such a way that electrodes come into contact with opposite sides of the cardiac wall such that the electrodes are optimally positioned. The use of a catheter with a plurality of such electrodes in a row enables the removal of whole lines of destroyed cardiac wall tissue by ablation.