Method and apparatus for semi-automatic aneurysm measurement and stent planning using volume image data

• US 6,782,284 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Subramanyan, Krishna, Chandra, Shalabh, Pohlman, Scott Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, William C.
• Application Number:
  US09/990,010
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/425, 600/426, 600/429, 600/436, 600/410, 600/414, 600/481, 600/424, 600/437, 600/443, 600/454, 600/465, 600/463, 600/483, 382/128, 382/130, 382/131, 382/133, 382/4, 378/21, 378/22, 378/23, 378/24, 378/25, 378/27
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20192 Edge enhancement; Edge preservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring parameters preparatory to a stent replacement of an aneurytic blood vessel in a patient (26) includes a computed tomography (CT) scanner (10) that acquires image data (28) corresponding to multiple two-dimensional image slices. A reconstruction processor (32) reconstructs a three-dimensional image representation (34) from the image data (28). A tracking processor (40) produces a tracked vessel (92) including at least a centerline (80) and selected vessel boundaries (86). A user interface (44) displays a rendering (242) of the image representation to an associated user (42), measures selected vascular parameters corresponding to the stent parameters (276), and graphically superimposes the measured parameters on the rendering of the image representation (270, 272).

Claims

1. A method for tracking a blood vessel containing an aneurysm in a three-dimensional image, the method comprising:

identifying a blood vessel type;

receiving vascular landmarks from an associated user;

extracting an orthogonal vessel plane;

locating a vessel center in the vessel plane;

fitting vessel edges in the vessel plane; and

recursively repeating the extracting, locating, and fitting a plurality of times to track the vessel.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identifying of a blood vessel type includes:

displaying at least one stent type to the user; and

receiving a stent type selection from the user.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the estimating of a vessel direction includes:

interpolating a direction using at least two landmarks.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locating of a vessel center in the vessel plane includes:

constructing a central measure map; and

identifying the vessel center as an extremum of the central measure map.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fitting of vessel edges in the vessel plane includes:

arranging a parametric snake about the vessel center; and

iteratively fitting the parametric snake to the vessel boundaries.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the iterative fitting of the parametric snake includes:

parameterizing the edge strength using at least a scale-based gradient magnitude.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the iterative fitting of the parametric snake includes:

a true lumen fitting which iteratively fits the snake to the true vessel lumen; and

a false lumen fitting which iteratively fits the snake to the false vessel lumen.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the iterative fitting of the parametric snake further includes:

subsequent to the true lumen fitting and prior to the false lumen fitting, increasing the snake size by a pre-selected amount.

9. A method for assisting an associated user in planning implanting a stent in a blood vessel in an associated patient, the method comprising:

acquiring a three-dimensional vascular image including imaging of the blood vessel in which the stent is to be implanted;

tracking the vessel to be replaced in the three-dimensional vascular image, said tracking including at least extraction of a vessel centerline and vessel boundaries;

receiving from the user a stent type;

displaying a table of measurements corresponding to the received stent type; and

measuring stent parameters based on the vessel tracking.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the measuring of stent parameters includes:

measuring a stent parameter responsive to a user selection of an element of the table of measurements.

11. A method for assisting an associated user in planning implanting a stent in a blood vessel in an associated patient, the method comprising:

acquiring a three-dimensional vascular image including imaging of the blood vessel which is to receive the stent;

receiving vascular landmarks from the user;

tracking the vessel to receive the stent in the three-dimensional vascular image, the vascular landmarks being used in the tracking, said tracking including at least extraction of a vessel centerline and vessel boundaries; and

measuring parameters for the stent to be implanted based on the vessel tracking.

12. A method for assisting an associated user in planning implanting a stent in a blood vessel in an associated patient, the method comprising:

acquiring a three-dimensional vascular image including imaging of the blood vessel in which the stent is to be implanted;

tracking the vessel in which the stent is to be implanted in the three-dimensional vascular image, said tracking including at least extraction of a vessel centerline and vessel boundaries of at least a portion of a stent anchor vascular branch; and

measuring stent parameters based on the vessel tracking.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including:

receiving from the user an indication of a type of stent to be implanted.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including:

displaying the measured stent parameters graphically superimposed on a rendering of the acquired vascular image.

15. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including:

constructing a stent structure in 3-D based on the measured stent parameters; and

superimposing the stent structure on a rendering of the acquired vascular image.

16. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the acquiring of a three-dimensional vascular image includes one of:

magnetic resonance imaging;

computed tomography imaging; and

nuclear medicine imaging.

17. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the acquiring of a three-dimensional vascular image includes:

transmitting an x-ray beam through the associated patient; and

measuring x-ray absorption by the patient.

18. An apparatus for measuring parameters preparatory to a stent replacement of an aneurytic blood vessel in an associated patient, the apparatus comprising:

a computed tomography (CT) scanner for acquiring image data corresponding to multiple two-dimensional image slices;

a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a three-dimensional image representation from the image data;

a tracking processor for producing a tracked vessel including at least a centerline and selected vessel boundaries; and

a user interface for;

displaying a rendering of the image representation to an associated user,

receiving from the user a stent type selected for implanting,

measuring selected vascular parameters corresponding to stent parameters,

graphically superimposing a representation of a stent with the measured stent parameters on the rendering of the image representation, and

displaying a table of measurements corresponding to the selected stent type.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the tracking processor further produces a tracked vessel branch including at least a centerline and selected vessel boundaries of the tracked branch along a preselected length thereof.

20. An apparatus for measuring parameters preparatory to implanting a stent in an aneurytic blood vessel in an associated patient, the apparatus comprising:

a computed tomography (CT) scanner for acquiring image data corresponding to multiple two-dimensional image slices;

a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a three-dimensional image representation from the image data;

a tracking processor for producing a tracked vessel including at least a centerline and selected vessel boundaries; and

a user interface including a means for selecting a stent type and a means for receiving vascular landmarks from the user, the user interface performing a method including;

displaying a rendering of the image representation to an associated user,

measuring selected vascular parameters corresponding to the stent parameters, and

graphically superimposing the measured parameters on the rendering of the image representation.

21. An apparatus for measuring parameters preparatory to implanting a stent in an aneurytic blood vessel in an associated patient, the apparatus comprising:

a computed tomography (CT) scanner for acquiring image data corresponding to multiple two-dimensional image slices;

a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a three-dimensional image representation from the image data;

a tracking processor for producing a tracked vessel including at least a centerline and selected vessel boundaries; and

a user interface for;

displaying a rendering of the image representation to an associated user,

plotting at least one of a vessel diameter and a vessel area versus a distance along the centerline from a reference vessel center, and

graphically superimposing a depiction of a selected stent type on the image representation.

22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein the user interface identifies the aneurysm as corresponding to one of the largest plotted vessel diameter and the largest plotted vessel area.

23. An apparatus for measuring stent parameters preparatory to a stent implanting operation, the apparatus comprising:

a means for acquiring three-dimensional image data;

a means for reconstructing the image data into a three-dimensional image representation;

a means for tracking the blood vessel which is to receive the stent, said tracking including at least estimation of a vessel centerline and selected vessel boundaries in three-dimensions, said tracking means including a means for identifying vessel branches which branch off the blood vessel to receive the stent and a means for tracking at least a portion of the identified vessel branches;

a means for displaying a rendering of the image representation to an associated user; and

a means for measuring selected vascular parameters corresponding to parameters of a properly sized stent.

25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 23, further including:

a means for constructing a three-dimensional representation of a stent structure based on the measured parameters; and

a means for graphically superimposing the stent structure on the displayed renderingt of the image representation.

24. An apparatus for measuring stent parameters preparatory to a stent implanting operation, the apparatus comprising:

a means for acquiring three-dimensional image data;

a means for reconstructing the image data into a three-dimensional image representation;

a means for tracking the blood vessel which is to receive the stent, said tracking including at least estimation of a vessel centerline and selected vessel boundaries in three-dimensions, said tracking means including a means for identifying vessel branches which branch off the blood vessel to receive the stent and a means for tracking at least a portion of the identified vessel branches;

a means for displaying a rendering of the image representation to an associated user; and

a means for measuring selected vascular parameters corresponding to parameters of a properly sized stent.