A method for localizing an intracranial electrode in a subject's brain is provided. The intracranial electrode has at least one electrode contact. The method includes: acquiring a first brain image reconstructed from first image data acquired after electrode-implantation; acquiring a second brain image reconstructed from second image data acquired before the electrode-implantation; co-registering the first brain image and the second brain image to acquire spatial transformation parameters; extracting a first coordinate of the electrode contact from the first brain image; converting the first coordinate into a second coordinate in the second brain image by using the spatial transformation parameters; co-registering the second brain image and a universal brain atlas to define functional zones in the second brain image; and defining a corresponding functional zone where the second coordinate is located. Another alternative method and a system for localizing an intracranial electrode are also provided herein.

A procedure is performed with respect to a skeletal portion within a body with a tool mounted upon a steerable arm. 3D image data is acquired of the skeletal portion. First and second x-ray images of the tool and the skeletal portion are acquired from respective first and second views. A computer processor (22) (i) registers the first and second images to the image data, (ii) identifies a location of the tool with respect to the skeletal portion, within the first and second images, (iii) determines the tool's location with respect to the image data, (iv) compares the tool's location with a designated locational element, (v) calculates the 3D difference between the tool's location and the locational element, and (vi) generates steering instructions for the arm such that the tool's location matches the locational element. Other applications are also described.

A method and a system for producing images of a subject, such as the heart of a human being. The method may comprise acquiring ultrasound images of the subject with a catheter comprising a position sensor. The method may also comprise capturing a plurality of 4D surface registration points in the acquired ultrasound images corresponding to points on the subject. The method may also comprise registering, in space and time, a high-resolution 4D model of the subject with the plurality of 4D surface registration points. The method may also comprise displaying high resolution, real-time images of the subject during a medical procedure based on the registration of the high resolution 4D model to the 4D surface registration points. Embodiments of the present invention are especially useful in left atrium ablation procedures.

Systems and methods for image-based guidance for facilitating navigation of tubular networks. A region of interest in three-dimensional image data may first be segmented. An endoscopic instrument may be detected in two-dimensional intraoperative image data of the region of interest. A centerline of the detected endoscopic instrument may then be determined. The endoscopic instrument and the centerline may be backprojected to generate a three-dimensional backprojected volume. A device path of the endoscopic instrument may be generated based at least in part on the three-dimensional backprojected volume and the three-dimensional image data.

The present invention relates to an image processing system for a catheter operation. One embodiment comprises: a storage unit for at least temporarily storing a plurality of candidate routes on which a guide wire can proceed on a changing route caused by vascular bifurcations while proceeding from a first point by using a blood vessel image; and a processor for selecting, from an image inputted while an operation proceeds, at least one route corresponding to the current shape of the guide wire on the basis of a similarity comparison between the current shape of the guide wire and each of the plurality of candidate routes.

The disclosure relates to stent detection and shadow detection in the context of intravascular data sets obtained using a probe such as, for example, and optical coherence tomography probe or an intravascular ultrasound probe.

A system and method for constructing fluoroscopic-based three-dimensional volumetric data of a target area within a patient from two-dimensional fluoroscopic images acquired via a fluoroscopic imaging device.

A method, an apparatus and a system for conveniently measuring coronary artery vascular evaluation parameters are provided by the disclosure. The measurement method includes: measuring a pressure P.sub.d at a distal end of coronary artery stenosis and/or a pressure P.sub.a at a coronary artery inlet via a pressure guide wire (S100); performing coronary angiography for a blood vessel to be measured (S200); selecting an angiogram image of a first body position and an angiogram image of a second body position of the blood vessel to be measured (S300); selecting a segment of blood vessel from a proximal end to a distal end of the coronary artery for segmentation, and obtaining a three-dimensional coronary artery vascular model by three-dimensional modeling (S400); injecting a contrast agent, and obtaining an average time T.sub.a taken for the contrast agent passing from an inlet to an outlet of the segment of blood vessel (S500); obtaining a time T.sub.max taken for the contrast agent passing from the inlet to the outlet of the segment of blood vessel in a maximum dilated state according to hydrodynamic formulas (S600); obtaining coronary artery vascular evaluation parameters (S700).

An image processing apparatus includes: an image data generator that generates preview image data and main-image image data on the basis of an image signal acquired by a radiographic imaging apparatus; an image processor that performs enhancement processing for enhancing a signal component of a predetermined structure other than a human body on the preview image data generated by the image data generator; and a display controller that displays, on a display, a preview image based on the preview image data in which the signal component of the predetermined structure has been enhanced by the image processor.

A method for determining a projected track of an object (230) includes measuring movement from frame to frame of a detected object point in a field of view by periodic comparison of positions, extrapolating a locus of periodically detected object points, and qualifying the locus by calculating and applying a threshold to the linearity in a sequence of positions and a threshold to consistency in strength. The method further produces the plurality of ultrasound images by including thereon a rendering of a plurality of lines (310) as a path track indicator (330) on one or more ultrasound images (305) and displaying the projected track of the object when a user moves the tracked object a minimum distance in a region of interest (242) of a subject (240). The method also includes utilizing a motion sensor (234) with a probe (205) to suppress calculation and display of the projected track.