System for Providing Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Medical Images

A system for generating a two dimensional (2D) medical image through a three dimensional (3D) imaged volume of patient anatomy at a desired position, comprising:

• at least one repository for storing 3D image data representing a 3D imaging volume including vessels in the presence of a contrast agent, said 3D image data comprising,
• data identifying a plurality of voxels representing a plurality of individual volume image element luminance values and
• luminance distribution data for individual voxels of a vessel in said 3D image data, a luminance distribution of an individual voxel comprising a plurality of successive luminance values of said voxel over a time period in the presence of a contrast agent;
• and
• an image data processor for,
• identifying voxels in said 3D image data comprising a 2D image through said volume in response to data indicating 2D image slice position through said 3D image volume,
• using the luminance distribution data in determining a plurality of individual luminance values for identified voxels comprising said 2D image by determining luminance values of the identified voxels from corresponding associated luminance distributions at a particular time within a luminance distribution time period and
• generating data representing said 2D image using the determined plurality of individual luminance values.

A method for generating a two dimensional (2D) medical image through a three dimensional (3D) imaged volume of patient anatomy at a desired position, comprising the activities of:

• storing 3D image data representing a 3D imaging volume including vessels in the presence of a contrast agent, said 3D image data comprising,
• data identifying a plurality of voxels representing a plurality of individual volume image element luminance values and
• luminance distribution data for individual voxels of a vessel in said 3D image data, a luminance distribution of an individual voxel comprising a plurality of successive luminance values of said voxel over a time period in the presence of a contrast agent;
• and
• for a plurality of individual voxels of a 2D image,
• determining composite luminance distribution data of an individual voxel in said 2D image by combining luminance distribution data of said 3D image data of a plurality of identified voxels substantially lying on a projection line from a source point to said individual voxel and
• generating data representing said 2D image using the determined composite luminance distribution data of said plurality of individual voxels.

A method for generating a two dimensional (2D) medical image through a three dimensional (3D) imaged volume of patient anatomy at a desired position, comprising the activities of:

• storing in at least one repository, 3D image data representing a 3D imaging volume including vessels in the presence of a contrast agent, said 3D image data comprising,
• data identifying a plurality of voxels representing a plurality of individual volume image element luminance values and
• luminance distribution data for individual voxels of a vessel in said 3D image data, a luminance distribution of an individual voxel comprising a plurality of successive luminance values of said voxel over a time period in the presence of a contrast agent;
• identifying voxels in said 3D image data comprising a 2D image through said volume in response to data indicating 2D image slice position through said 3D image volume;
• using the luminance distribution data in determining a plurality of individual luminance values for identified voxels comprising said 2D image by determining luminance values of the identified voxels from corresponding associated luminance distributions at a particular time within a luminance distribution time period;
• and
• generating data representing said 2D image using the determined plurality of individual luminance values.