AUTOMATIC GENERATION AND UTILIZATION OF A VASCULAR ROADMAP

• US 20100160764A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Ran, Tolkowsky, David, STEINBERG, Alexander, Philipp, Sagiv
• Granted Patent: US 10,499,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22044 with a pointed tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22094 for crossing total occlusions, i.e. piercing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 : Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 : for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 : involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 : for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 : for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 : extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 : combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 : for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 : Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10121 : Fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 : Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 : Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 : Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 : of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/034 : of medical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 : Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for receiving into at least one processor a set of images of blood vessels of a subject. A road map of the subject'"'"'s blood vessels is generated, by automatically (a) deriving at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images, and (b) in the derived image, determining a location of edge lines of at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the image. An output is generated by the processor, based on the road map. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving into at least one processor a set of images of blood vessels of a subject;

generating a road map of the subject'"'"'s blood vessels, by automatically;

deriving at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images; and

in the derived image, determining a location of edge lines of at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the image; and

generating an output by the processor, based on the road map.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the output comprises overlaying the edge lines on an image stream that is based upon the set of images.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the output comprises overlaying the edge lines on a single image that is derived from the set of images.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the road map comprises generating a road map that corresponds to a given phase of a motion cycle of the blood vessels, and wherein generating the output comprises overlaying the road map on an image stream of the blood vessels that is gated to the given phase.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the road map comprises generating the road map in real time.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the road map comprises generating the road map in near real time.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating distance indicators along the edge lines.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the road map further comprises automatically enhancing the at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the derived image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein deriving the at least one image from the set of images comprises selecting a single image from the set of images, based upon 30 visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein deriving the at least one image from the set of images comprises selecting two or more images from the set of images, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images, and generating an image, based upon the two or more images.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the road map comprises, using image processing, automatically deriving lines that correspond to paths of the at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the derived image, and wherein determining the location of the edge lines comprises determining the location of the edge lines based upon the lines that correspond to the paths.

12. Apparatus, comprising:

an image-acquisition device configured to acquire a set of images of blood vessels of a subject;

a display; and

at least one processor, comprising;

image-receiving functionality configured to receive the set of images into the processor;

image-derivation functionality configured to automatically derive at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images; and

edge-line-determination functionality configured to automatically generate a road map by determining a location of edge lines of at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the derived image; and

display-driving functionality configured to drive the display to display an output to a user based upon the road map.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to overlay the edge lines on an image stream that is based upon the set of images.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to overlay the edge lines on a single image that is derived from the set of images.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the edge-line determination functionality is configured to determine edge-lines that correspond to a given phase of a motion cycle of the blood vessels, and wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to overlay the road map on an image stream of the blood vessels that is gated to the given phase.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the edge-line-determination functionality is configured to generate the road map in real time.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the edge-line-determination functionality is configured to generate the road map in near real time.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor further comprises distance-indicating functionality configured to generate distance indicators along the edge lines, and wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to display the distance indicators along the edge lines.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor further comprises image-enhancement functionality configured to automatically enhance the at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the derived image.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image-derivation functionality is configured to select a single image from the set of images, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images.

21. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image-derivation functionality is configured to select two or more images from the set of images, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images, and to generate an image, based upon the two or more images.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor further comprises line-derivation functionality configured, using image processing, to automatically derive lines that correspond to paths of at least the some of the portion of the blood vessels in the image, and wherein the edge-line-determination functionality is configured to determine the location of the edge lines based upon the lines that correspond to the paths.

23. A method for use with blood vessels of a subject that move cyclically, in accordance with a motion cycle, comprising:

receiving into at least one processor a set of images of the blood vessels;

automatically, deriving at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon;

(a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and

(b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images;

generating a road map based upon the derived image; and

generating an output based upon the road map.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein receiving the set of images comprises receiving a set of angiographic images.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein deriving the at least one image from the set of images comprises selecting a single image from the set of images, based upon the (a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and (b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein deriving the at least one image from the set of images comprises:

selecting two or more images from the set of images, based upon the (a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and (b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images; and

generating an image, based upon the two or more images.

27. Apparatus for use with blood vessels of a subject that move cyclically, in accordance with a motion cycle, comprising:

an image-acquisition device configured to acquire a set of images of the blood vessels;

a display; and

at least one processor, comprising;

image-receiving functionality configured to receive the set of images into the processor;

image-derivation functionality configured to automatically derive at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon;

(a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and

(b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images;

road-map-generation functionality configured to generate a road map based upon the derived image; and

display-driving functionality configured to drive the display to display an output to a user based upon the road map.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the image-acquisition device comprises an angiographic imaging device.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the image-derivation functionality is configured to select a single image from the set of images, based upon the (a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and (b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the image-derivation functionality is configured to:

select two or more images from the set of images, based upon the (a) timing of acquisition of images from the set of images with respect to the motion cycle, and (b) visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images; and

generate an image, based upon the two or more images.

31. A method for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that moves as a result of cardiac cyclic activity of the subject and that also undergoes additional motion that is at least partially a result of a respiratory cycle of the subject, the method comprising:

identifying a given phase of the cardiac cyclic activity;

generating a stabilized set of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body

by outputting a set of image frames corresponding to image frames of the portion acquired during the given phase, and

by image tracking at least the set of image frames to reduce imaged motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body associated with the additional motion; and

displaying the tracked set of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body.