Abstract: The present invention relates to guidance during a medical intervention. In order to provide an improved navigation support with a facilitated setup, a system (10) for navigation support is provided. An image data input (12) receives a plurality of acquired 2D X-ray images of a subject's body from different angles. A set of markers, which are visible in X-ray images and which are detectable by a navigation system, is assigned to the subject. A marker detecting arrangement (16) is provided that detects a current spatial location of the markers assigned to the subject. A data processor (14) reconstructs a 3D volume of the subject based on the plurality of 2D X-ray images. At least a part of the markers is arranged outside the volume covered by the reconstructed 3D volume of the subject, while the markers are visible in the 2D X-ray images.

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: A medical viewing system for processing and displaying a sequence a sequence of medical angiograms representing a balloon, moving in an artery, this system comprising extracting means for automatically extracting balloon image data in a phase of balloon expansion, and computing means for automatically defining and storing coordinates of a Region of Interest (ROI) based on the expanded balloon image data, located around the expanded balloon; and display means for displaying the images. Contrast agent may be used as agent of balloon expansion. The system may have means to detect and keep track of balloon markers and means to look around those markers for further balloon image data extraction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for providing an angiographic image (A) based on a database (2) with angiograms (3, 3a) from various heartbeat phases (H) and respiratory phases (R). From the available angiograms (3, 3a), a function (f) is first calculated, which describes the position (x) of the heart (1) dependent upon the respiratory phase (R). With the aid of this function (f) an angiographic image (A) may be generated which matches the heartbeat phase (Hd) and the respiratory phase (Rd) for given values of the heartbeat phase (Hd) and the respiratory phase (Rd), by transformation of an available angiogram (3a) which matches the heartbeat phase (Hd).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and to a method for combining two images, especially for superimposition 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), 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) in an image (C) on a monitor (10). The map image (B) used for this is preferably selected by means of an electrocardiogram to match the particular cardiac cycle. The position of the catheter relative to the map image (B) can be estimated using a distance image (D).

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.

Abstract: The invention relates to a viewing system and a method for detecting an object of interest in a sequence of images (IS). Said object of interest is detected by first locating localizers related to said object of interest and by locating borders (BL) related to said object of interest using the location (LI, LZ) of said localizers. The viewing system according to the invention is able to produce a sequence of enhanced images in which the object of interest is enhanced, to measure some characteristics and to build a three dimensional representation of said object of interest. The viewing system is also able to register and combine said sequence of enhanced images with a sequence of reference images.

Abstract: A viewing system and method for enhancing objects of interest represented on a moving background in a sequence of noisy images and for displaying the sequence of enhanced images, comprising extracting means (11) for extracting features related to an object of interest in images of the sequence; registering means (12) for registering the features related to the object of interest with respect to the image referential, yielding registered images (13); similarity detection means for determining the resemblance of the representations of a registered object of interest in succeeding images and weighing means for modulating the intensities of the pixels of said object of interest over the images of the sequence; temporal integrating means (14, 33b) for integrating the object of interest and the background over a number, or at least two, registered images (13) of the sequence; and display means (54) for displaying the processed images (15, 45) of the enhanced registered object of interest on faded background.