# US 7,412,023 B2 · X-ray diagnostic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,412,023 B2 - Document ID: US7412023B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/362,738 - Filed: 2006-02-28 - Published: 2007-08-30 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2006-02-28 - Assignees: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation; The Research Foundation of State University of New York - Inventors: Satoru Ohishi; Kenneth Richard Hoffmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412023B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/504: {for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography} - A61B 6/4233: {using matrix detectors} - A61B 6/4441: {the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm} - A61B 6/466: {adapted to display 3D data} - A61B 6/481: {involving the use of contrast agents} - G06T 7/32: using correlation-based methods - A61B 6/4464: {the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling} - G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT] - G06T 2207/30101: Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A X-ray diagnostic apparatus includes an X-ray imaging unit including an X-ray tube and an X-ray detecting unit to generate an X-ray image, an image generating unit generating a 3D non-blood vessel image and a 3D blood vessel image from an original 3D image generated by the X-ray diagnostic apparatus or an X-ray CT apparatus, a projection image generating unit generating a non-blood vessel projection image from the 3D non-blood vessel image and generating a blood vessel projection image from the 3D blood vessel image, a positional shift identifying unit identifying a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image, a correcting unit correcting a positional shift of the blood vessel projection image on the basis of the positional shift, and a display unit which displays the X-ray image and the corrected blood vessel projection image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an X-ray imaging unit including an X-ray tube and an X-ray detecting unit configured to generate an X-ray image; an image generating unit configured to generate a 3D non-blood vessel image and a 3D blood vessel image from an original 3D image generated by the X-ray diagnostic apparatus or an X-ray CT apparatus; a projection image generating unit configured to generate a non-blood vessel projection image from the 3D non-blood vessel image and to generate a blood vessel projection image from the 3D blood vessel image; a positional shift identifying unit configured to identify a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image; a correcting unit configured to correct the blood vessel projection image on the basis of the positional shift; and a display unit configured to display the X-ray image and the corrected blood vessel projection image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray image is a real-time image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original 3D image is a CT contrast image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original 3D image is a rotational X-ray contrast image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generating unit generates the non-blood vessel image from the original 3D image by threshold processing based on CT values. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reconstructing unit which reconstructs the 3D non-blood vessel image from a plurality of X-ray images generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism at different imaging angles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reconstructing unit which reconstructs the 3D non-blood vessel image from a plurality of mask images generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism at different imaging angles under a rotational contrast imaging sequence. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generating unit generates the 3D blood vessel image from the original 3D image by threshold processing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reconstructing unit which reconstructs a 3D DA image from a rotational X-ray contrast image generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism, and an extracting unit which extracts a 3D blood vessel image from the 3D DA image on the basis of voxel values. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reconstructing unit which reconstructs the 3D blood vessel image from a DSA image of a rotational X-ray contrast image generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reconstructing unit which reconstructs the 3D blood vessel image from a rotational X-ray contrast image generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism under a contrast sequence, and a reconstructing unit which reconstructs the 3D non-blood vessel image from a rotational X-ray contrast image generated by the X-ray imaging mechanism under a masked sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional shift identifying unit identifies an angle difference between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image, an image enlargement ratio difference between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image, and a position difference between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an input device for manual fine adjustment of a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit arranges and displays the X-ray image and the corrected blood vessel projection image at the same observation angle and the same position on a window. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the display unit superimposes and displays a characteristic feature of the X-ray image on the corrected blood vessel projection image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the characteristic feature is a marker attached to a distal end of the device or to the device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit superimposes and displays the corrected blood vessel projection image on the X-ray image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a subtraction processing unit which subtracts the 3D non-blood vessel image from the X-ray image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the display unit superimposes and displays a subtraction image obtained by the subtraction processing unit on the 3D blood vessel image. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the subtraction processing unit has a function of subtracting a projection image of the 3D non-blood vessel image from the X-ray image in accordance with an arbitrary weighting coefficient. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit combines and displays the non-blood vessel projection image on the X-ray image. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the display unit superimposes and displays the non-blood vessel projection image on the X-ray image in different colors. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the display unit edge-enhances, combines, and displays the 3D non-blood vessel image and the X-ray image. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a subtraction image based on a projection image of the 3D non-blood vessel image and the X-ray image. ### Claim 25 An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an X-ray imaging unit including an X-ray tube and an X-ray detecting unit configured to generate an X-ray image; an image generating unit configured to generate a 3D non-blood vessel image and a 3D blood vessel image from an original 3D image generated by the X-ray diagnostic apparatus or an X-ray CT apparatus; a projection image generating unit configured to generate a non-blood vessel projection image from the 3D non-blood vessel image and to generates a blood vessel projection image from the 3D blood vessel image; a positional shift identifying unit configured to identify a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image; a correcting unit configured to correct a positional shift of the blood vessel projection image on the basis of the positional shift; and a combining unit configured to combine the X-ray image and the corrected blood vessel projection image. ### Claim 26 An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an X-ray imaging unit including an X-ray tube and an X-ray detecting unit configured to generate an X-ray image; an image generating unit configured to generate a 3D non-blood vessel image and a 3D blood vessel image from an original 3D image generated by the X-ray diagnostic apparatus or an X-ray CT apparatus; a projection image generating unit configured to generate a non-blood vessel projection image from the 3D non-blood vessel image and to generates a blood vessel projection image from the 3D blood vessel image; a positional shift identifying unit configured to identify a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image; and a combining unit configured to combine the X-ray image and the blood vessel projection image on the basis of the positional shift. ### Claim 27 An image processing apparatus, comprising: a storage unit configured to store an X-ray image, 3D non-blood vessel image, and 3D blood vessel image associated with the same subject; a projection image generating unit configured to generate a non-blood vessel projection image from the 3D non-blood vessel image and to generates a blood vessel projection image from the 3D blood vessel image; a positional shift identifying unit configured to identify a positional shift between the X-ray image and the non-blood vessel projection image; and a combining unit configured to combine the X-ray image and the blood vessel projection image on the basis of the positional shift.