Automatic quantitative vessel analysis

• US 8,781,193 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• 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: Steinberg, Alexander, Philipp, Sagiv, Tolkowsky, David, Cohen, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US12/666,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382128-134, 382/155, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382189-192, 382/232, 382254-258, 382274-275, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 600/424, 600/513, 600/407, 600/481, 378/4, 378/21, 378/95
• US Class Current: 382/130
• 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 use with an image of blood vessels of a subject. In response to a user designating a single point on the image (a) a target portion of a blood vessel is automatically identified in the vicinity of the designated point, and (b) quantitative vessel analysis is performed on the target portion of the blood vessel. An output is generated based upon the quantitative vessel analysis. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method for use with an image of blood vessels of a subject, comprising:

using at least one processor;

in response to a user designating a single point on the image;

automatically identifying a target portion of a blood vessel in a vicinity of the designated point;

performing quantitative vessel analysis on the target portion of the blood vessel;

and generating an output based upon the quantitative vessel analysis,

wherein identifying the target portion comprises designating a longitudinal portion of the blood vessel having a proximal end that is at a first distance from the point in a proximal direction, and having a distal end that is at a second distance from the point in a distal direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blood vessel includes a coronary artery, and wherein performing the quantitative vessel analysis with respect to the blood vessel comprises performing quantitative coronary angiography.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing quantitative vessel analysis with respect to the longitudinal portion comprises determining a minimum diameter of the blood vessel within the longitudinal portion.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the target portion comprises identifying a portion of the blood vessel that corresponds to a lesion.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein identifying the portion of the blood vessel that corresponds to the lesion comprises identifying edge lines of the blood vessel.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein designating the longitudinal portion having the proximal and distal ends comprises identifying proximal and distal longitudinal locations of the blood vessel at which the lesion ends.

7. Apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display an image of blood vessels of a subject;

an input device; and

at least one processor, configured;

in response to a user designating a single point on the image, using the input device, to automatically identify a target portion of a blood vessel in a vicinity of the designated point;

to perform quantitative vessel analysis on the target portion of the blood vessel; and

to drive the display to display an output in response to the quantitative vessel analysis,

wherein the processor is configured to identify the target portion of the blood vessel by designating a longitudinal portion of the blood vessel having a proximal end that is at a first distance from the point in a proximal direction, and having a distal end that is at a second distance from the point in a distal direction.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the blood vessel includes a coronary artery, and wherein the processor is configured to perform quantitative coronary angiography.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine a minimum diameter of the blood vessel within the longitudinal portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to identify the target portion of the blood vessel by identifying a portion of the blood vessel that corresponds to a lesion.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to identify the portion of the blood vessel that corresponds to the lesion by identifying edge lines of the blood vessel.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to designate the longitudinal portion having the proximal and distal ends by identifying proximal and distal longitudinal locations of the blood vessel at which the lesion ends.

13. A method for use with an image of blood vessels of a subject, comprising:

using at least one processor, in response to a user designating a single point on the image;

automatically identifying a portion of a blood vessel in a vicinity of the designated point that corresponds to a lesion, by;

automatically determining a location of edge lines of the blood vessel, and

automatically determining longitudinal locations along the blood vessel that correspond to ends of the lesion; and

generating an output in response to the identification of the portion that corresponds to the lesion.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising performing quantitative vessel analysis with respect to the portion.

15. Apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display an image of blood vessels of a subject;

an input device; and

at least one processor, configured;

in response to a user designating a single point on the image, using the input device, to identify a portion of a blood vessel in a vicinity of the designated point that corresponds to a lesion, by;

automatically determining a location of edge lines of the blood vessel, and

automatically determining longitudinal locations along the blood vessel that correspond to ends of the lesion; and

to drive the display to display an output in response to the identification of the portion that corresponds to the lesion.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform quantitative vessel analysis on the identified portion.

17. A method for use with an image of blood vessels of a subject, comprising:

using at least one processor, in response to a user designating a first longitudinal location of a blood vessel, and subsequently designating a plurality of additional longitudinal locations of the blood vessel,

automatically determining a parameter of the blood vessel at each of the additional locations, the parameter being selected from the group consisting of;

a diameter of the blood vessel associated with the additional location,

a level of occlusion of the blood vessel associated with the additional location, and

a longitudinal distance along the blood vessel associated with the additional location; and

generating an output in response to the determined parameter at each of the locations.

18. Apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display an image of blood vessels of a subject;

an input device; and

at least one processor, configured;

in response to a user designating a first longitudinal location of a blood vessel, and subsequently designating a plurality of additional longitudinal locations of the blood vessel, to automatically determine a parameter of the blood vessel at each of the additional locations, the parameter being selected from the group consisting of;

a diameter of the blood vessel associated with the additional location,

a level of occlusion of the blood vessel associated with the additional location, and

a longitudinal distance along the blood vessel associated with the additional location; and

to drive the display to display an output in response to the determined parameter.