VISUALIZATION OF THE CORONARY ARTERY TREE

• US 20120020462A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hansis, Eberhard Sebastian, Grass, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/95
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/006 Inverse problem, transformation from projection-space into object-space, e.g. transform methods, back-projection, algebraic methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2211/404 Angiography

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method for reconstruction of the coronary arteries and an examination apparatus for reconstruction of the coronary arteries. To provide improved coronary artery information, an apparatus and a method are provided where a gating signal is provided (32) and a first gated X-ray image sequence of one of the left or right branches of the coronary arteries is acquired (34) with injected contrast agent into the one of the left or right branches of the coronary arteries. Further, a second gated X-ray image sequence of the other branch of the coronary arteries is acquired (36) with injected contrast agent into said other branch. Then, a gated reconstructing (38) of the left and the right coronary artery is suggested and a volume data (40, 42) of the coronary arteries is generated. The volume data of the left and right coronary arteries is registered (44) in relation to time and space. Further; the registered volume data (48, 50) of the left and the right coronary arteries is combined and a combined coronary artery tree volume data set (52) is generated (54). Finally, the combined coronary tree volume data set is visualized (56).

Claims

1. Examination apparatus for reconstruction of the coronary arteries, the examination apparatus comprising:

at least one X-ray image acquisition device (10);

a calculation unit (18);

an electrocardiogram device; and

a display device (20);

wherein the electrocardiogram device is adapted for providing a gating signal (132);

wherein the image acquisition device is of a C-type and adapted for acquiring a first gated X-ray image sequence (34;

134) of one of the left and right branches of the coronary arteries with injected contrast agent into the one of the left or right branches of the coronary arteries and for acquiring a second gated X-ray image sequence (36;

136) of the other branch of the coronary arteries with injected contrast agent into said other branch;

wherein the calculation unit (18) is adapted for performing gated reconstructions (38;

138) of the left and the right coronary artery and for generating volume data (40, 42;

140, 142) of the coronary arteries;

for temporal registration of the volume data of the coronary arteries;

for spatial registration of the volume data of the coronary arteries; and

for combining (54) the volume data of the coronary arteries and generating a combined coronary artery tree volume data set (52); and

wherein the display device is adapted for visualizing (56) the combined coronary tree volume data set image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device is adapted for generating combined coronary artery tree volume data sets (52) for each cardiac phase;

and wherein the control unit is adapted for generating at least one combined coronary artery tree film sequence.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is adapted for determining the displacement amount of the left and right arteries;

and converting the determined displacement values into visual values; and

wherein

the display device is adapted for displaying the displacement amount.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is adapted for determining the speed of the displacement of the left and right arteries by relating the displacement amount to time;

and converting the determined speed values into visual values; and

wherein

the display device is adapted for displaying the speed occurrences.

5. X-ray imaging system with an apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A method for reconstruction of the coronary arteries, the method comprising the steps of:

providing (32) a gating signal;

acquiring (34) a first gated X-ray image sequence of one of the left or right branches of the coronary arteries with injected contrast agent into the one of the left or right branches of the coronary arteries;

acquiring (36) a second gated X-ray image sequence of the other branch of the coronary arteries with injected contrast agent into said other branch;

gated reconstructing (38) of the left and the right coronary artery and generating volume data (40, 42) of the coronary arteries;

temporal registering of the volume data of the left and right coronary arteries;

spatial registering of the volume data of the left and right coronary arteries; and

combining the registered volume data (48, 50) of the left and the right coronary artery and generating a combined coronary artery tree volume data set (52); and

visualizing (56) the combined coronary tree volume data set.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second gated X-ray image sequences are rotational coronary angiography image sequences.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reconstruction is a tomographical reconstruction.

9. The method according to claim 6, with generating a combined coronary artery tree volume data set for each cardiac phase (114, 116, 118, 120);

wherein each cardiac phase is temporally registered in relation to the gating signal (132).

10. The method according to claim 9, with generating at least one combined coronary artery tree film sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10, with

determining the displacement amount of the left and right arteries;

converting the determined displacement values into visual values; and

displaying the displacement amount.

12. The method according to claim 11, with

determining the speed of the displacement of the left and right arteries by relating the displacement values to time;

converting the determined speed values into visual values; and

displaying the speed occurrences.

13. The method according to claim 11, with

determining the displacement of the left and right arteries in relation to each other;

comparing the displacement with pre-set displacement values; and

generating and displaying displacement information.

14. A computer program element, which, when being executed by a processing unit, is adapted to carry out the method of claim 6.

15. A computer readable medium having stored a program element, which, when being executed by a processing unit, is adapted to carry out the method of claim 6.