Device and method for producing images of the heart

A device for controlling the injection rate of a contrast agent in a vascular system, comprising

• a) an injection pump (8) for injecting the contrast agent at a controllable injection rate;
• b) a measuring device (4, 7) for determining the parameter characteristic of the flowrate in the vascular system;
• c) a control unit (10) that is coupled to the injection pump (8) and the measuring device (4, 7) and is designed to drive the injection pump (8) as a function of the particular value of the characteristic parameter in such a way that the contrast agent follows a predetermined concentration pattern in the vascular system.

A method of producing an image of an object (5) that is subject to cyclic spontaneous movement, comprising the steps of

• a) producing a series of projected X-ray pictures of the object (5);
• b) measuring a parameter characteristic of the spontaneous movement of the object;
• c) controlling the X-ray exposure rate and/or the picture-taking rate as a function of the particular value of the characteristic parameter in such a way that the X-ray exposure rate and/or the picture-taking rate is higher during a predetermined movement phase, to be displayed of the object than during the other movement phases of the object.

A method of controlling the injection rate at which a contrast agent is injected into a vascular system, comprising the steps of

• a) measuring the current flowrate in the vascular system;
• b) injecting the contrast agent as a function of the measured flowrate at an injection rate that is such that the contrast agent follows a predetermined concentration pattern in the vascular system.