Method and System for Image Based Device Tracking for Co-registration of Angiography and Intravascular Ultrasound Images

An apparatus for angiography and intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) co-registration comprising:

• means for detecting a vessel branch in an angiogram image;
• means for receiving a sequence of IVUS images from an IVUS transducer, the IVUS image acquired while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch;
• means for receiving a fluoroscopic image sequence acquired while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch;
• means for detecting the IVUS transducer and a guiding catheter tip in each of a plurality of frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence;
• means for mapping the IVUS transducer detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image;
• and
• means for registering each of the IVUS images to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image based on the mapped location of the IVUS transducer detected in a corresponding frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for angiography and intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) co-registration, the computer executable instructions defining steps comprising:

• detecting a vessel branch in an angiogram image;
• receiving a sequence of IVUS images from an IVUS transducer, the IVUS image acquired while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch;
• receiving a fluoroscopic image sequence acquired while the IVUS transducer is being pulled back through the vessel branch;
• detecting the IVUS transducer and a guiding catheter tip in each of a plurality of frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence;
• mapping the IVUS transducer detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image;
• and
• registering each of the IVUS images to a respective location in the detected vessel branch of the angiogram image based on the mapped location of the IVUS transducer detected in a corresponding frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence.