Patents by Inventor Michael Zellerhoff

Michael Zellerhoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11717239
    Abstract: First projection images are recorded. The first projection images map an examination object along different first projection directions. A corresponding respective second projection image is recorded for at least two first projection images. The first projection images each have a first focus point, and the second projection images each have a second focus point. Each of the second projection images together with a corresponding first projection image at least partially map a common part of the examination object about a stationary center point. The second projection images map the examination object along second projection directions that are mutually different and at least partially different, relative to the respectively corresponding first projection directions such that a straight line through the first focus point and the second focus point of the mutually corresponding first projection images and second projection images extends through the stationary center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zellerhoff, Michele Kiessling, Michael Manhart, Thomas Brunner
  • Publication number: 20220031265
    Abstract: First projection images are recorded. The first projection images map an examination object along different first projection directions. A corresponding respective second projection image is recorded for at least two first projection images. The first projection images each have a first focus point, and the second projection images each have a second focus point. Each of the second projection images together with a corresponding first projection image at least partially map a common part of the examination object about a stationary center point. The second projection images map the examination object along second projection directions that are mutually different and at least partially different, relative to the respectively corresponding first projection directions such that a straight line through the first focus point and the second focus point of the mutually corresponding first projection images and second projection images extends through the stationary center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Zellerhoff, Michele Kiessling, Michael Manhart, Thomas Brunner
  • Patent number: 9164046
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for three-dimensional representation of a moving structure by a tomographical method. Projection images are recorded by an image recording unit during a rotational run from recording angles between a start angle and an end angle, with a three-dimensional image data reconstructed from the projection images, with a first perfusion measurement with a first contrast agent injection and a first rotational run and with a further perfusion measurement with a further contrast agent injection and a further rotational run, which is started after the preceding perfusion measurement has concluded, with the start time and/or the start angle of the additional rotational run deviating from one another in respect of the time of the contrast agent injection. The method enables a functional three-dimensional time-resolved imaging of perfusion processes with the aid of flexible C-arm x-ray devices, which allow a functional imaging in an interventional environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8755583
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating at least one functional data set of a perfused region of the human or animal body are proposed. A first image data set is supplied comprising at least two images of the perfused region recorded at different times before and after an injection of contrast agent into a first artery supplying the region. A second image data set is supplied comprising at least two images of the perfused region recorded at different times before and after an injection of contrast agent into a second artery supplying the region. A first functional data set is generated by pixel-based calculation of at least one perfusion parameter from the first image data set. A second functional data set is generated by pixel-based calculation of at least one perfusion parameter from the second image data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Yu Deuerling-Zheng, Thomas Redel, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8676297
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and a device for separate three-dimensional presentation of arteries and/or veins of a vessel system in a part of the body of a vertebrate by a rotation computer tomography. A masking run of the tomograph is undertaken without contrast media around the part of the body. Then two filling runs with contrast media are executed, with the venous phase of vessel contrasting during the first filling run occurring during the arterial phase of vessel contrasting of the second filling run and vice-versa. The data from the first and second filling run is combined into data sets from the arterial or the venous phases of the vessel contrasting of the filling runs. The data of the masking run is subtracted from the combined data sets to obtain final data sets for a three-dimensional presentation of the arterial or the venous vessel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Goetz Benndorf, Klaus Klingenbeck-Regn, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8488861
    Abstract: A system and method of determining hemodynamic parameters of a patient is described. A background image data set is obtained prior to the administration of a contrast agent. A series of image data sets is obtained during the first passage of the bolus through a parenchymal volume. The pre-contrast-agent image is subtracted from image data sets obtained during the first passage of the contrast agent bolus, so that the amount of contrast agent in the volume may be determined. The time series of the amount of contrast agent is computed to determine the arterial input function (AIF) which may be used to determine a tissue impulse response, and hemodynamic parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Yu Deuerling-Zheng, Jan Boese, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8285014
    Abstract: A system and method of obtaining perfusion data for cerebral tissue is described. The system includes a C-arm X-ray device and a computing system configured to obtain sets of rotational projection X-ray data suitable for reconstructing 3D voxel data sets. A first data set is obtained of the patient, and then contrast material is injected into the vascular system to obtain a second 1 data set. A first voxel data set is subtracted from the second voxel data set, and the resultant data set is processed so as to segment the contrast-enhanced vasculature from the remaining data. The segmented voxels are subtracted from the resultant voxel data set, so as to yield a functional data set representing the difference between the attenuation of the tissues after administering contrast agent and the tissues prior to administering the contrast agent, without the contrast enhanced vasculature. The attenuation of the functional data set represents the perfusion or cerebral blood volume (CBV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Guenter Lauritsch, Thomas Redel, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8126236
    Abstract: Method for three-dimensional representation of arteries and/or veins in an object by a tomography x-ray device is proposed. A mask pass with N projections at N angular positions without contrast agent is implemented. A first filler pass with M projections at M angular positions after injecting a contrast agent, where M<N is implemented, followed by a second filler pass with N?M projections at N?M angular positions. A composite three-dimensional volume data record is reconstructed from an intermediate data record determined from the mask pass, the first and the second filler pass. A reprojection for arteries and/or for veins is calculated by reprojection of the first filler pass and/or of the second filler pass from the composite three-dimensional volume data record. A three-dimensional volume data record for arteries and/or for veins is calculated by weighting the composite three-dimensional volume data record taking into account the respective measured and calculated projection images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Härer, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 8054941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of angiography recordings. First, a mask image is recorded with a first modality. A contrast medium is injected after the first recording. A control image is recorded with a second modality after the injection of the contrast medium. A spreading of the contrast medium is determined based on the images and the control of subsequent recordings is analyzed. A recording criterion is checked to determine whether the recording criterion has been achieved. If it has not been achieved, the control image is repeatedly recorded for repeatedly determining the spreading of the contrast medium. If it has been achieved, a contrast image is recorded with the first modality and the mask image and the contrast image are processed and analyzed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Boese, Yu Deuerling-Zheng, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7953267
    Abstract: There is described a method for a periodic and three-dimensional representation of a periodically variable structure. A number of rotation images is generated for this purpose. The required rotations relating to the same event of the periodic process are started at intervals offset by a defined angle. From the rotation images, new image series are assembled with which three-dimensional representations relating to different phase ranges of the period are reconstructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7899152
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a three-dimensional representation of a moving structure by a tomographic method, in which during one recording pass a series of projection recordings is registered by an imaging unit at different recording angles between a start position and an end position, it being possible to reconstruct three-dimensional image data from the projection recordings with the following steps: a) generation of tomosynthesis projection recordings along a tomosynthesis scanning path; b) interpolation of the data of the tomosynthesis projection recordings in accordance with an interpolation algorithm in order to generate a projection data set; c) use of a tomosynthesis reconstruction method on the projection data set in order to generate a tomosynthesis volume image; d) repetition of steps b) and c) for all times of interest, and e) display of tomosynthesis representations from the tomosynthesis volume images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Boese, Wolfgang Härer, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7852984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the separate three-dimensional representation of arteries and/or veins in a vascular system of the body by means of a C-arm biplanar system having two C-arms, which can each record a sequence of x-ray images from different projection angles during a mask or filler pass. With the filler pass, both C-arms record x-ray images, so that the x-ray images of the filler pass can be combined to form a first data record, which contains x-ray images from the arterial phase of the vascular contrasting and/or to form a second data record, which contains x-ray images from the venous phase of the vascular contrasting. This enables the arterial and venous phases to be reconstructed separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Zellerhoff
  • Publication number: 20100246916
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating at least one functional data set of a perfused region of the human or animal body are proposed. A first image data set is supplied comprising at least two images of the perfused region recorded at different times before and after an injection of contrast agent into a first artery supplying the region. A second image data set is supplied comprising at least two images of the perfused region recorded at different times before and after an injection of contrast agent into a second artery supplying the region. A first functional data set is generated by pixel-based calculation of at least one perfusion parameter from the first image data set. A second functional data set is generated by pixel-based calculation of at least one perfusion parameter from the second image data set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Yu Deuerling-Zheng, Thomas Redel, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7796723
    Abstract: In a known type of tomosynthesis x-ray source and x-ray detector are linearly moved and x-rays images are taken for a large number of positions, the images being reconstructed to give a 3D image record. According to the invention x-ray source and x-ray detector are swiveled and a sequence of x-rays is subsequently taken again, x-ray source and x-ray detector again being moved in a straight line. One drawback of simple tomosynthesis with movement in a straight line is suppressed thereby, the drawback being that the quality of reconstruction is particularly poor in a certain direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Härer, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7734009
    Abstract: The invention relates to an angiographic x-ray diagnostic device for rotation angiography with an x-ray emitter which can be moved on a circular path about a patient located on a patient support table, with an image detector unit which can moved on the circular path facing the x-ray emitter, with a digital image system for recording a plurality of projection images by means of rotation angiography, with a device for image processing, by means of which the projection images are reconstructed into a 3D volume image, and with a device for correcting physical effects and/or inadequacies in the recording system such as truncation correction, scatter correction, ring artifact correction, correction of the beam hardening and/or of the low frequency drop for the soft tissue display of projection images and the 3D volume images resulting therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Brunner, Klaus Klingenbeck-Regn, Michael Maschke, Alois Nöttling, Ernst-Peter Rührnschopf, Bernhard Scholz, Bernd Schreiber, Norbert Karl Strobel, Karl Wiesent, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7711083
    Abstract: To enable an artifact free reconstruction even in the case of large regions of interest and with scanning paths of below 360°, provision is made for a method, with which a three-dimensional image volume is reconstructed from a number of two-dimensional projection images of a region of interest, which were recorded about the region of interest during a rotation of a recording system, comprising an x-ray source with a focal point and a detector, by calculating the gray scale values of the voxels of the image volume by back projection of the projection images, with which each two-dimensional projection images is composed in each instance from at least two individual projection images to form an extended two-dimensional projection image, with the respectively at least two individual projection images being recorded with a constant relative position between the focal point and the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Benno Heigl, Stefan Hoppe, Joachim Hornegger, Ernst-Peter Rührnschopf, Holger Scherl, Bernhard Scholz, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Publication number: 20100027751
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of angiography recordings. First, a mask image is recorded with a first modality. A contrast medium is injected after the first recording. A control image is recorded with a second modality after the injection of the contrast medium. A spreading of the contrast medium is determined based on the images and the control of subsequent recordings is analyzed. A recording criterion is checked to determine whether the recording criterion has been achieved. If it has not been achieved, the control image is repeatedly recorded for repeatedly determining the spreading of the contrast medium. If it has been achieved, a contrast image is recorded with the first modality and the mask image and the contrast image are processed and analyzed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Jan Boese, Yu Deuerling-Zheng, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Publication number: 20090287066
    Abstract: A workflow for a minimally invasive intervention, such as a treatment for a cancerous tumor, includes positioning a patient at a multi-functional imaging apparatus, obtaining pre-interventional images of the anatomy of the patient using a computed tomography or angiography imaging function, performing the minimally invasive intervention while the patient is positioned at the multi-functional imaging apparatus and while using a fluoroscopic imaging function, and performing a post-interventional imaging of the patient's anatomy while the patient is positioned at the multi-functional imaging apparatus using the computed tomography or angiographic imaging function. If the post-interventional imaging determines that additional intervention is in order, the additional intervention is performed while the patient is positioned at the imaging apparatus. Pre-intervention images and data sets from other sources may be combined with or used during the intervention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Oliver Meissner, John Christopher Rauch, Thomas Redel, Michael Zellerhoff
  • Publication number: 20090262897
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the separate three-dimensional representation of arteries and/or veins in a vascular system of the body by means of a C-arm biplanar system having two C-arms, which can each record a sequence of x-ray images from different projection angles during a mask or filler pass. With the filler pass, both C-arms record x-ray images, so that the x-ray images of the filler pass can be combined to form a first data record, which contains x-ray images from the arterial phase of the vascular contrasting and/or to form a second data record, which contains x-ray images from the venous phase of the vascular contrasting. This enables the arterial and venous phases to be reconstructed separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventor: Michael Zellerhoff
  • Patent number: 7558372
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the separate three-dimensional representation of arteries and/or veins in a vascular system of the body by means of a C-arm biplanar system having two C-arms, which can each record a sequence of x-ray images from different projection angles during a mask or filler pass. With the filler pass, both C-arms record x-ray images, so that the x-ray images of the filler pass can be combined to form a first data record, which contains x-ray images from the arterial phase of the vascular contrasting and/or to form a second data record, which contains x-ray images from the venous phase of the vascular contrasting. This enables the arterial and venous phases to be reconstructed separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Zellerhoff