Method and evaluation device for determining the position of a structure located in an object to be examined by means of X-ray computer tomography

An evaluation device for determining a position of a structure located in an object to be investigated by means of X-ray computer tomography, the evaluation device comprising one or more processors being configured in such a way that:

• a volume data record determined by means of X-ray computer tomography of an object to be investigated is providable;
• a cutting plane through a structure located in the object and to be determined with respect to a spatial position of said structure is definable;
• a cutting data record is determinable from the volume data record, which images the object in the cutting plane;
• the cutting data record is binarizable to form a binary data record;
• structure voxels imaging the structure are determinable in the binary data record;
• surface voxels imaging an object surface of the object are determinable in the binary data record;
• a distance data record is determinable in such a way that a distance value, which characterizes a smallest distance of a respective distance voxel from the surface voxels is assigned to each distance voxel of the distance data record;
• the distance voxels corresponding to the structure voxels in the distance data record are determinable;
• and the distance values of the distance voxels corresponding to the structure voxels are evaluatable.

An X-ray computer tomograph, comprising:

• an X-ray source for irradiating an object to be investigated from a plurality of projection directions with X-radiation;
• an X-ray detector to detect the X-radiation;
• an object carrier for positioning the object between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector;
• and
• an evaluation device comprising one or more processors for determining a position of a structure located in the object to be investigated by means of X-ray computer tomography, which is configured in such a way that:
• a volume data record determined by means of X-ray computer tomography of the object to be investigated is providable;
• a cutting plane through a structure located in the object and to be determined with respect to a spatial position of said structure is definable:
• a cutting data record is determinable from the volume data record, which images the object in the cutting plane;
• the cutting data record is binarizable to form a binary data record;
• structure voxels imaging the structure are determinable in the binary data record;
• surface voxels imaging an object surface of the object are determinable in the binary data record;
• a distance data record is determinable in such a way that a distance value, which characterizes a smallest distance of a respective distance voxel from the surface voxels is assigned to each distance voxel of the distance data record;
• the distance voxels corresponding to the structure voxels in the distance data record are determinable;
• and
• the distance values of the distance voxels corresponding to the structure voxels are evaluatable.