Method and device for flow reconstruction

• US 20060210134A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• 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: Grass, Michael, Rasche, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• 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 and a device for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the flow conditions in a vascular system (3), in which, in a first phase after the beginning of a contrast-medium injection, X-ray projection pictures are produced from the same direction (A) at a high picture-taking rate in order to observe the inflow of the contrast medium. When the contrast medium fills the vascular system (3), a rotation of the Xray device (1) takes place during which projection pictures are produced at a lower picturetaking rate and/or at a lower radiation dose, from which pictures the three-dimensional structure of the vascular tree can be reconstructed. Optionally, at the end of the rotation, projection pictures may again be taken from a fixed direction that observe the drainage of the contrast medium from the vascular system (3).

Claims

1. A device for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the flow conditions in a vascular system (3) with the aid of two-dimensional projections of the vascular system during a contrast-medium injection, comprising

an imaging device (1) for producing two-dimensional projection pictures of the vascular system (3) taken from different directions (A, B_i, C);

an injection device (5) for the controlled injection of a contrast medium into the vascular system (3);

a control unit (6) that is coupled to the imaging device (1) and that is designed to drive the imaging device in accordance with the following steps;

a) production of projection pictures taken from the same projection direction (A) at a high picture-taking rate during the inflow of the contrast medium after a contrast-medium injection;

b) rotation of the imaging device around the vascular system (3) and production of projection pictures taken from different directions (B_i) while the vascular system (3) is filled with contrast medium.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the imaging device is a rotation X-ray unit (1, 2, 4).

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, during the rotation of the rotation X-ray unit (1, 2, 4), the projection pictures are produced at a lower picture-taking rate and/or at a lower radiation dose.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (6) is designed to drive the imaging device (1) after completion of the rotation to produce projection pictures taken from a fixed projection direction (C) at a preferably higher picture-taking rate.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (6) is designed to initiate the beginning of the rotation as a function of an image analysis of the projection pictures produced during the inflow of the contrast medium.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (6) is coupled to the injection device (5) in order to record and/or to control the injection process.

7. A method for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the flow conditions in a vascular system with the aid of two-dimensional projections of the vascular system during a contrast-medium injection, comprising the following steps:

a) production of projection pictures taken from the same projection direction (A) at a high picture-taking rate during the inflow of the contrast medium;

b) production of projection pictures of the vascular system (3) taken from different directions (B_i) while it is filled with contrast medium.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the projection pictures are produced by means of X-rays.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the picture-taking rate and/or the radiation dose is reduced during step b).

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, after step b), projection pictures are produced from a fixed direction (C) during the drainage of the contrast medium from the vascular system (3).