Method and apparatus for displaying images of tubular structures

An apparatus for displaying a portion of a tubular vessel, the apparatus comprising:

• means for selecting at least one point along a centerline of the vessel proximate the portion;
• means for identifying an imaging plane based upon the selected at least one point;
• and
• at least one of means for displaying at least a part of the imaging plane, and means for acquiring an image in relation to the imaging plane;
• wherein at least one of:
• the selected at least one point includes a single point, and the means for identifying the imaging plane determines a local axis of the centerline that is tangent to the centerline at the single point, determines a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to the centerline at the single point, determines a contour of the vessel in the cross-sectional plane, determines a diameter segment passing across the contour and through the single point that best exhibits a particular characteristic, and identifies the imaging plane as a plane defined by the local axis and the diameter segment;
• and
• the selected at least one point includes a plurality of points, and the means for identifying the imaging plane determines the imaging plane as the plane that most closely depicts a selected section determined by the plurality of points.

A method of displaying a structure of a vessel, the method comprising:

• determining a centerline of a tubular structure;
• selecting a section of the centerline;
• determining a plane that minimizes a quantity that is functionally related to distances to the selected section;
• and
• at least one of
• displaying at least a part of the plane, and
• performing an image acquisition in relation to the plane.