US 7,734,328 B2Granted

System and method to enhance visualization of an object in a vascular vessel

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsRegis Vaillant, Jean Lienard, Vincent Bismuth

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Abstract

An imaging system of an object in an imaged subject is provided. The imaging system includes an image detector and a guidewire in support of a pair of markers. The imaging system also includes a controller in communication with the image detector. The controller includes a processor in communication to execute a series of programmable instructions stored in a memory, the programmable instructions including acquiring a plurality of acquired images, detecting a position of the pair of markers, calculating a first mathematical representation of an alignment of the guidewire between the markers and a second mathematical representation of an alignment of the guidewire not between the markers, and registering the first and second mathematical representations of the guidewire extending through the object relative to more than one of the acquired images so as to locate the object in at least one of the acquired images.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of visualizing an object deployed in an imaged subject the object having a guidewire extending through, the guidewire in support of a pair of markers, the method comprising the acts of:

acquiring a plurality of x-ray images, at least one x-ray image including an acquired image data of the pair of markers;
detecting a position of the acquired image data of the pair of markers in one the acquired x-ray images;
calculating a first mathematical representation of an alignment of the guidewire between the markers and a second mathematical representation of an alignment of the guidewire dependent on an extremity of the first mathematical expression and that is not dependent on any markers, wherein the act of calculating the first and second mathematical representation of the guidewire includes:
identifying a plurality of candidate parametric curve representations in at least one of the plurality of x-ray images;
identifying a plurality of cross-section profiles in one or more of the acquired x-ray images along a plane generally perpendicular to each of the plurality of candidate parametric curve representations, each of the cross-section profiles generally created along each of the candidate parametric curve representations and spaced apart from one another by a given step;
generating a contrast profile comprising grey-scale values of pixels located along each cross-section profile in spatial relation to the respective candidate parametric curve representation;
calculating and comparing an average contrast of greyscale values for each of the candidate parametric curve representations;
and
identifying a best fitting candidate parametric curve representation from the plurality of candidate curve representations, the best fitting candidate parametric curve representation being the second mathematical representation of the guidewire;
and
illustrating the second mathematical representation of the guidewire extending through the object in a display relative to at least one of the plurality of images.

8 more elements

An imaging system of an object in an imaged subject, comprising:

an image detector operable to acquire a plurality of x-ray images of the imaged subject;
a guidewire in support of a pair of markers, the guidewire extending through the object;
and
a controller in communication with the image detector, the controller including a processor in communication to execute a plurality of programmable instructions stored in a memory, the programmable instructions including:
identifying a plurality of candidate parametric curve representations in at least one of the plurality of x-ray images;
identifying a plurality of cross-section profiles in one or more of the plurality of x-ray images along a plane generally perpendicular to each of the plurality of candidate parametric curve representations, each of the cross-section profiles generally created along each of the candidate parametric curve representations and spaced apart from one another by a given step;
generating a contrast profile comprising grey-scale values of pixels comprising the one or more x-ray images, the pixels located along each cross-section profile in spatial relation to the respective candidate parametric curve representation;
calculating and comparing an average contrast of greyscale values for each of the candidate parametric curve representations;
and
identifying a best fitting candidate parametric curve representation from the plurality of candidate curve representations, the best fitting candidate parametric curve representation being the second mathematical representation of the guidewire;
and
illustrating the second mathematical representation of the guidewire extending through the object in a display relative to at least one of the plurality of images.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.