Occluded Vessel Location in 3D Angiographic Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Occluded blood vessels are difficult to locate and display in 3D angiograms, hindering vascular navigation and treatment due to gaps in angiograms caused by occlusions.
Innovation Solution
A method to identify and display the location of occluded blood vessels by analyzing a series of 2D images derived from 3D angiographic data in planes transverse to the occluded portion, allowing the path of the occluded vessel to be determined and displayed on the 3D angiogram, facilitating navigation and potential occlusion removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If 3D angiographic imaging is used to visualize vasculature, then accurate imaging of the vasculature is achieved, but occluded portions of vessels remain invisible or difficult to locate
Solution Approach 1:
The 3D angiographic volume is divided into multiple 2D cross-sectional slices at different locations along the vessel path. By examining these segmented slices, the occluded portion can be located and traced even though it appears as a gap in the conventional 3D rendering, thus resolving the contradiction between overall imaging accuracy and specific detection of occluded segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses 2D cross-sectional images as an intermediary to locate the occluded vessel. These intermediate slices serve as a bridge between the 3D volume data and the invisible occluded portion, allowing indirect visualization and tracking of the vessel path through the occlusion zone.
2Device complexity
If gaps are left in angiograms to represent occluded portions, then the imaging process remains simple, but navigation through the vasculature becomes impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by automatically identifying and marking the location of occluded portions in the 2D cross-sectional slices before final 3D rendering. This preliminary localization enables navigation tools to function effectively despite the presence of gaps, as the occluded segments are pre-identified and can be used as reference points for navigation.
3Ease of manufacture
If occluded portions are not visualized, then the angiogram remains clear and simple, but treatment planning is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs different visual representations or color coding in the 2D cross-sectional slices to highlight occluded portions. By changing the visual appearance (e.g., marking occluded segments with specific colors or patterns), the system preserves the overall simplicity of the angiogram while providing critical information about occluded vessel locations for treatment planning.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of finding the location of an occluded portion of a blood vessel relative to a three-dimensional angiographic image of a subject's vasculature includes identifying the location of the occluded portion of the blood vessel on each of a series of displayed two dimensional images derived from the three dimensional image data in planes substantially transverse to direction of the occluded portion of the vessel. The identified locations in the occluded portion of the vessel can then be used to determine the path of the occluded portion of the vessel.