Method for enhanced visualization of objects in interventional angiographic examinations and device for performing the method

A method for enhancing a visualization of an introduced object in interventional angiographic examinations, comprising:

• acquiring an empty image, a fill image having a vascular tree filled with a contrast-agent, and a native image having the object by a detector having a matrix-shaped array of pixels;
• subtracting the empty image from the fill image to generate a subtraction image;
• displacing the subtraction image by at least one pixel in a x- and/or a y-direction to generate a plurality of vessel images displaced relative to one another;
• summing the vessel images to generate a modified vessel image as a mask image having a substantially improved signal-to-noise ratio;
• segmenting the vascular tree in the modified vessel image to generate a segmentation image;
• processing the modified vessel image, the segmentation image, and the native image to generate a composite image;
• and
• displaying the composite image.

An angiographic X-ray system for enhancing a visualization of an introduced object in interventional angiographic examinations, comprising:

• an X-ray tube assembly;
• an X-ray detector having a matrix-shaped array of pixels for acquiring an empty image, a fill image having a vascular tree filled with a contrast-agent, and a native image having the object;
• an imaging processing system configured to:
• subtract the empty image from the fill image to generate a subtraction image;
• displace the subtraction image by at least one pixel in a x- and/or a y-direction to generate a plurality of vessel images displaced relative to one another;
• sum the vessel images to generate a modified vessel image as a mask image having a substantially improved signal-to-noise ratio;
• segment the vascular tree in the modified vessel image to generate a segmentation image;
• process the modified vessel image, the segmentation image, and the native image to generate a composite image;
• and
• a monitor for displaying the composite image.