Method of assisting orientation in a vascular system

• US 20030123606A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Mollus, Sabine, Eck, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/466 adapted to display 3D data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of forming a very accurate vascular map or road map to be associated with the current X-ray image during an invasive vascular intervention. The vascular map is derived from a four-dimensional model of the vascular tree, that is, from a spatially three-dimensional, time-dependent model, the time dependency relating to natural motions of the body such as notably the heartbeat and/or the respiration. In particular the rhythm of the heartbeat or the respiration can be determined by means of a sensor so as to be used for synchronized selection and display of the corresponding three-dimensional vascular model.

Claims

1. A method of assisting the orientation in the vascular system of a body volume, the method comprising:

a) acquisition of three-dimensional models of the vascular system in the body volume in different phases of a natural motion of the body; and

b) forming a graphic representation on the basis of at least one of the models and a current image of the body volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the natural motion of the body is determined and in the step b) the model of the vascular system which best fits the current phase of the natural motion is used.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a two-dimensional projection of a three-dimensional model is formed in the step b).

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the current image is a fluoroscopic image and at least one of the projection direction and the projection plane of the three-dimensional model corresponds to at least one of the projection direction and the projection plane of the fluoroscopic image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the projection direction and the projection plane of the current fluoroscopic image is determined by comparing the fluoroscopic image with images of the body volume which were used for deriving the three-dimensional models of the vascular system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the position of an object within an imaging region is determined from the current fluoroscopic image and that the corresponding position is highlighted in the rendition of the models of the vascular system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the object within the imaging region comprises at least one of an instrument, a catheter and a guide wire.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein that in step b) the at least one model of the vascular system is superposed on a rendition of the image.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the natural motion of the body is caused by at least one of heartbeat and respiration.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising means for superposing the at least one model of the vascular system on a rendition of the image.

10. An X-ray apparatus for monitoring an invasive vascular operation comprising:

an X-ray source and a detector for forming X-ray images of a predetermined body volume;

a memory for storing models of the vascular system in the body volume in different phases of a natural motion of the body;

a sensor for a natural motion of the body; and

a data processing unit which is coupled to the sensor and to the memory and is arranged in such a manner that it forms a graphic representation on the basis of on at least one of the models of the vascular system and on a current X-ray image of the body volume.

11. The X-ray apparatus of claim 10 comprising a device for determining at least one of a current projection direction and projection plane of the X-ray image.

12. An apparatus for assisting the orientation in the vascular system of a body volume, the apparatus comprising:

means for acquisition of three-dimensional models of the vascular system in the body volume in different phases of a natural motion of the body; and

means for forming a graphic representation on the basis of at least one of the models and a current image of the body volume.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising means for determining the natural motion of the body;

and

means for fitting the model of the vascular system which best fits the current phase of the natural motion.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising means for forming a two-dimensional projection of a three-dimensional model.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a fluoroscope for providing the current image and means for corresponding at least one of the projection direction and the projection plane of the three-dimensional model to at least one of the projection direction and the projection plane of the current fluoroscopic image.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising means for determining the position of an object within an imaging region and means for highlighting the corresponding position in the rendition of the models of the vascular system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for determining the position of the object within an imaging region includes a fluoroscopic image.