Coupled CPR Viewing Direction for Vascular Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for visualizing blood vessels using Curved Planar Reformat (CPR) in CT and MRI imaging face challenges such as spatial foreshortening and the need for calibration, which complicates the diagnosis and intervention of vascular pathologies like stenoses and aneurysms, requiring multiple angiographies and increasing radiation exposure.
Innovation Solution
A method for rendering and displaying a curved planar reformat view of a blood vessel's 3D tubular structure, where the viewing direction is coupled to the voxel volume's representation or the C-arm geometry of a 3D rotational angiography device, allowing for six different modes to optimize the visualization and reduce unnecessary angiographies, including modes that follow the C-arm geometry or voxel volume orientation, and enable fused visualization without calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple angiographies are performed to diagnose vascular pathologies, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but radiation exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs CPR visualization and measurement calibration before angiography procedures. By pre-visualizing vascular structures and determining optimal viewing directions using CT or MRI data with CPR techniques, the system identifies which angiographies are actually necessary, allowing elimination of redundant procedures and reduction of radiation exposure while maintaining diagnostic accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of vascular structures through CPR visualization from non-invasive CT or MRI data. These virtual models allow physicians to study vascular anatomy, plan procedures, and determine optimal angiography views without performing actual angiographies, thereby reducing the number of procedures needed and associated radiation exposure
2Adaptability or versatility
If CPR view is not coupled with voxel volume orientation or C-arm geometry, then visualization flexibility is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to spatial foreshortening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a coupled relationship where the CPR viewing direction is dynamically linked to the voxel volume orientation or C-arm geometry. This feedback mechanism ensures that when the viewing angle changes, the CPR view automatically adjusts to maintain accurate spatial representation, eliminating foreshortening effects while preserving visualization flexibility through six different coupling modes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic coupling between CPR view parameters and imaging geometry. The viewing direction of the CPR view is not fixed but dynamically adjusts based on the voxel volume orientation or C-arm position, allowing the system to maintain measurement accuracy across different visualization configurations while preserving operational flexibility
3Ease of operation
If 3D and 2D images are not aligned, then operational simplicity is improved, but intervention precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges 3D voxel volume data with 2D CPR views by coupling their coordinate systems and viewing directions. This integration ensures that structures visible in 2D angiography images are precisely aligned with their 3D representations, allowing physicians to accurately navigate and intervene based on fused multi-planar views without complex manual alignment procedures
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention describes a method for rendering and displaying a curved planar reformat (CPR) view (7') of a blood vessel's 3D tubular structure (1), wherein the viewing direction of the curved planar reformat view (7') is coupled to the viewing angle on a segmented or raw representation of the 3D tubular structure's ren- dered voxel volume to be visualized or, alternatively, to the C-arm geometry of a 3D rotational angiography device's C-arm system (6). The proposed method thus enables measurements on the X-ray image which do not suffer from spatial foreshortening and do not need to be calibrated. Thereby, said coupling can be performed bidirectional. According to a first aspect of the proposed method, this means that the viewing direction of the aforementioned curved planar reformat view (7') follows the viewing angle on a segmented or raw representation of the 3D tubular structure's rendered voxel volume to be visualized, or vice versa. According to another aspect of the proposed method, this means that the viewing direction of the curved planar reformat view (7') is set depending on the C-arm geometry given by the roll (?x ), pitch (? y ) and yaw angle (?z ) of a 3D rotational angiography device's C-arm system (6), or vice versa.