Planar visualization of anatomical structures

A method for two-dimensional mapping of a tree-like elongated structure of a patient, comprising:

• acquiring three-dimensional image data of a tree-like elongated structure of a patient;
• identifying the tree-like elongated structure based upon the three-dimensional image data acquired;
• ascertaining curved planar reformations for the tree-like elongated structure identified;
• rotating intersecting segments of the tree-like elongated structure such that the segments do not intersect in the curved planar reformations ascertained;
• assigning, uniquely, a segment of the tree-like elongated structure to each point of an image to be output from each of which, in combination with scan lines, an associated respective scan point of the three-dimensional image data is obtained;
• and
• scanning the associated respective scan points obtained to generate the image to be output.

An apparatus for two-dimensional mapping of anatomical structures of a patient, comprising:

• an input interface for acquisition of three-dimensional image data of anatomical structures of the patient;
• an adaptation unit for adaptation of a virtual network structure to a spatial course of the anatomical structures;
• a projection-definition unit for definition of a user-defined map projection for projection of two-dimensional pixel positions of an image to be output onto a geometric figure around a center of the anatomical structures;
• a point-of-intersection-ascertaining unit for ascertainment of points of intersection of radially extending half lines assigned to respective ones of the two-dimensional pixel positions of the image to be output with the virtual network structure;
• and
• an image-generating unit for ascertainment of the image to be output based upon image intensity values assigned to the points of intersection ascertained.

An apparatus for two-dimensional mapping of a tree-like elongated structure of a patient, comprising:

• an input interface for acquisition of three-dimensional image data of a tree-like elongated structure of a patient;
• an identification unit for identification of the tree-like elongated structure based upon the three-dimensional image data acquired;
• a reformatting unit for ascertainment of curved planar reformations for the tree-like elongated structure;
• a rotation unit for rotation of intersecting segments of the tree-like elongated structure such that segments in the curved planar reformations do not intersect;
• and
• a scanning unit for unique assignment of a segment of the tree-like elongated structure to each respective point of an image to be output from which, in combination with scan lines, respective associated scan points of the three-dimensional image data acquired are obtained, and for scanning the associated respective scan points obtained to generate the image to be output.