Abstract: A method and an image processing system for the evaluation of projection images generated by an X-ray imaging system, wherein the images may show different instruments of a given set of interventional instruments like catheters or guide wires. The instruments are equipped with markers such that their configuration is characteristic of the corresponding instrument. Preferably three markers are arranged on a straight line, the ratio of the distances between them being characteristic for the corresponding instrument. The image processing system may then identify the instruments present in a given projection and provide functionalities for a user that correspond to said instruments. Moreover, the system may be used to locate an instrument of interest in a projection image if the marker configuration of that instrument is known a priori.

Abstract: Cardiac roadmapping consists in correctly overlaying a vessel map sequence derived from an angiogram acquisition onto a fluoroscopy sequence used during PTCA intervention. This enhanced fluoroscopy sequence however suffers from several drawbacks such as breathing motion, high noise level, and most of all suboptimal contrast-enhanced mask due to segmentation defaults. This invention proposes to reverse the process and to locally overlay the intervention device as seen in fluoroscopy onto an optimal contrast-enhanced image of a corresponding cycle. This drastically reduces or suppresses the breathing motion, it provides the high image quality standard of angiograms, and avoids segmentation defaults. This proposal could lead to a brand new navigation practice in PCI procedures.

Abstract: Cardiac roadmapping consists in correctly overlaying a vessel map sequence derived from an angiogram acquisition onto a fluoroscopy sequence used during PTCA intervention. This enhanced fluoroscopy sequence however suffers from several drawbacks such as breathing motion, high noise level, and most of all suboptimal contrast-enhanced mask due to segmentation defaults. This invention proposes to reverse the process and to locally overlay the intervention device as seen in fluoroscopy onto an optimal contrast-enhanced image of a corresponding cycle. This drastically reduces or suppresses the breathing motion, it provides the high image quality standard of angiograms, and avoids segmentation defaults. This proposal could lead to a brand new navigation practice in PCI procedures.

Abstract: A medical viewing system for displaying a sequence of medical images that represents moving and/or positioning a guide-wire in a blood vessel, which guide-wire has a guide-wire tip that is contrasted with respect to the guide wire, this system comprising acquisition means that acquires an original sequence of noisy images called live sequence and processing means for processing said live sequence of images in real time, the processing means comprising: first means (10) for automatically detecting the guide-wire tip, yielding skeleton information of the guide-wire tip and a field of motion vectors based on said skeleton information; second means (20) for automatically registering the guide-wire tip with respect to a reference based on the field of motion vectors and for enhancing the guide-wire and the vessel walls while blurring the background in the registered images; and comprising: Display means for displaying a live sequence of processed images.

Abstract: A method for use in a medical viewing system for processing for display a sequence of images of a medical intervention comprising manipulating a tool such as a stent (25) within an artery. Two markers (21, 22) are provided on the tool support (10) and the method includes extracting these markers (21, 22) to yield marker location information, from which tool location information can be derived. The image of the tool within the sequence of images is then enhanced relative to the background. The background can be additionally blurred by simulating or effecting relative movement of the image detector and the stent (25) by, for example, zooming in on the stent (25) or rotating the detector relative thereto, during acquisition of the sequence of images.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for detecting an object of interest in a sequence of medical images. Said viewing system comprises alarm detection means (20) for detecting a set of alarms of said object of interest in a medical image (I?) at time t, in which an alarms is a set of data describing a possible location of the object. It further comprise temporal tracking means (30) for iteratively creating a set of tracks (T?) at time t by associating alarms of said set of alarms (A?) with tracks (T?1) at time t?1 and for choosing a track from among said set of tracks at time t in accordance with a merit criterion. Said track at time t is ended by an alarm which corresponds to a detection of said object of interest in said medical image at time t. Said viewing system advantageously accumulates temporal proofs for confirming or infirming spatial detections of alarms at time t. Detection of the object of interest is therefore made more robust to errors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an image processing system (20) for the evaluation of projection images (25) generated by an X-ray imaging system (10), wherein the images (25) may show different instruments (51, 52) of a given set of interventional instruments like catheters or guide wires. The instruments are equipped with markers such that their configuration is characteristic of the corresponding instrument (51, 52). Preferably three markers are arranged on a straight line, the ratio of the distances between them being characteristic for the corresponding instrument. The image processing system (20) may then identify the instruments (51, 52) present in a given projection (25) and provide functionalities for a user that correspond to said instruments. Moreover, the system may be used to locate an instrument (51, 52) of interest in a projection image (25) if the marker configuration of that instrument (51, 52) is known a priori.

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.

Abstract: A method for use in a medical viewing system for processing for display a sequence of images of a medical intervention comprising manipulating a tool such as a stent (25) within an artery. Two markers (21, 22) are provided on the tool support (10) and the method includes extracting these markers (21, 22) to yield marker location information, from which tool location information can be derived. The image of the tool within the sequence of images is then enhanced relative to the background. The background can be additionally blurred by simulating or effecting relative movement of the image detector and the stent (25) by, for example, zooming in on the stent (25) or rotating the detector relative thereto, during acquisition of the sequence of images.

Abstract: A viewing system and method comprises an extracting device, a spatial enhancement device, and a display device. The extracting device (1) extracts features related to an object of interest in images of a sequence. The spatial enhancement device (2) includes a ridge filter modulated by factor to enhance the object of interest to the exclusion of background objects. The display device (54) displays the processed images (15, 45) of the enhanced registered object of interest on a faded background.

Abstract: A medical viewing system for displaying a sequence of images of a medical intervention that comprises moving and/or positioning a tool in a body organ, which tool is carried by a support to which at least one marker is attached at a predetermined location with respect to the tool, comprising means for acquiring the sequence of images, and for processing said images during the medical intervention, wherein: extracting means for automatically extracting at least one marker that is attached to the tool support and that neither belongs to the tool nor to the body organ, and yielding the marker location information; computing means for automatically deriving the tool location information from the marker location information, and enhancing means for improving the visibility of the tool and/or the body organ in order to check whether the medical intervention stages are successfully carried out.

Abstract: An image processing method for providing three-dimensional geometric modeling of the spine, using a biplanar image reconstruction, comprising steps of acquisition of a first view (F) of a part of the spine, and a second view (L) of the same part of the spine taken from a different angle around the longitudinal axis of the spine, matching the dimensions of the views (F,L) from two predetermined corresponding landmarks (P1, P2) on each view and deriving three-dimensional coordinates (z, x, y) of corresponding points (P) along the spine. Application: X-ray medical 3-D imaging.

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: The invention relates to a system and a method for detecting an object of interest in a sequence of medical images. Said viewing system comprises alarm detection means (20) for detecting a set of alarms of said object of interest in a medical image (I?) at time t, in which an alarms is a set of data describing a possible location of the object. It further comprise temporal tracking means (30) for iteratively creating a set of tracks (T?) at time t by associating alarms of said set of alarms (A?) with tracks (T?1) at time t?1 and for choosing a track from among said set of tracks at time t in accordance with a merit criterion. Said track at time t is ended by an alarm which corresponds to a detection of said object of interest in said medical image at time t. Said viewing system advantageously accumulates temporal proofs for confirming or infirming spatial detections of alarms at time t. Detection of the object of interest is therefore made more robust to errors.

Abstract: A method for extracting geometrical data from a 2-D digital image of the spine, comprising steps for determining spine outlines, endplates and corners wherein: digitizing the spine center line and end points; constructing a 2-D image band, referred to as Rubber-Band, whose center line is a spline representing the spine center line, and unfolding said Rubber-Band for constructing a 2-D Rectangular-Band; processing the 2-D Rectangular-Band image data in order to estimate best paths going through selected points for determining the spine outlines, then the endplates based on the found outline data and the corners at the intersection of the outlines and endplates.

Abstract: A medical viewing system for displaying a sequence of medical images that represents moving and/or positioning a guide-wire, in a blood vessel, which guide-wire has a guide-wire tip that is contrasted with respect to the guide wire, this system comprising acquisition means that acquires an original sequence of noisy images called live sequence and processing means for processing said live sequence of images in real time, the processing means comprising: first means (10) for automatically detecting the guide-wire tip, yielding skeleton information of the guide-wire tip and a field of motion vectors based on said skeleton information; second means (20) for automatically registering the guide-wire tip with respect to a reference based on the field of motion vectors and for enhancing the guide-wire and the vessel walls while blurring the background in the registered images; and comprising: Display means for displaying a live sequence of processed images.

Abstract: A medical examination apparatus including an imaging means (2,3), a viewing system (4), wherein image data processing means (5) is arranged to facilitate production of different images of a feature of interest such that the pose of the feature is comparable in the different images. The image data processing means (5) estimates the pose of the anatomical feature in a first image generated by the imaging means, produces imaging means control data indicative of the desired imaging geometry for controlling one or more parameters of the imaging means (2,3) for producing a further image having the feature of interest in the estimated pose, and outputs the produced imaging means control data. The output control data may be output in a viewable form and/or output directly to the imaging means (2,3) so as automatically to control the parameters thereof. The output control data can also control the imaging means so as to produce an image having desired intensity characteristics.

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 (1) for extracting features related to an object of interest in images of the sequence; spatial enhancement means (2) that comprise a ridge filter modulated by factor means to enhance the object of interest to the exclusion of the objects of the background; and display means (54) for displaying the processed images (15,45) of the enhanced registered object of interest on faded background.

Abstract: A medical viewing system including an imaging means (2,3) and image data processing means (5) is arranged to facilitate production of different images of a feature of interest such that the pose of the feature of interest is comparable in the different images. The image data processing means (5) estimates the pose of the feature of interest in a second image relative to the pose thereof in a first image, typically generated at a different time, and applies an affine transformation, for example to the second image, so as to produce a transformed second image in which the feature of interest has substantially the same pose as in the first image. The image data may also be processed so as to normalize the intensity characteristics of the images to be compared. Gross differences in pose can be eliminated by processing the image data so as to generate control data indicating how to set up the imaging apparatus to produce an image having the feature of interest oriented substantially in a desired pose.