Three Dimensional Co-Registration for Intravascular Diagnosis and Therapy

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for creating, in a coordinated manner, graphical images of a body including vascular features from a combination of image data sources. The method includes initially creating an angiographic image of a vessel segment. The angiographic image is, for example, either a two or three dimensional image representation. Next, a vessel image data set is acquired that is distinct from the angiographic image data. The vessel image data set comprises information acquired at a series of positions along the vessel segment. An example of such vessel image data is a set of intravascular ultrasound frames corresponding to circumferential cross-section slices taken at various positions along the vessel segment. The angiographic image and the vessel image data set are correlated by comparing a characteristic rendered independently from both the angiographic image and the vessel image data at positions along the vessel segment.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining angiographic image data of a vessel segment from an imaging device positioned external to the vessel segment;   creating a three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based upon the obtained angiographic image data;   obtaining intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image data of the vessel segment from an imaging device positioned within the vessel segment, wherein the IVUS image data comprises a series of intravascular images acquired as the imaging device positioned within the vessel segment is moved through and along the vessel segment;   correlating the IVUS image data to the three-dimensional image of the vessel such that each of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is correlated to a portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel created based upon the obtained angiographic image data, wherein correlating the IVUS image data to the three-dimensional image of the vessel includes aligning the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data both axially and circumferentially to the corresponding portions of the three-dimensional image of the vessel; and   rendering simultaneously on a display an image of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and at least the correlated portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel as determined by the correlating step.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein time vectors of the series of intravascular images and a pullback speed of the imaging device are utilized to axially align the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data with the three-dimensional image of the vessel. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the lumen measurement is a cross-sectional area. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining the best fit between the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based on the obtained angiographic image data comprises determining a minimum of the sum of the squared differences between the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based on the obtained angiographic image data. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining the best fit between the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and the cross-sectional area of the vessel segment as depicted in the three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based on the obtained angiographic image data comprises determining a minimum of 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   ∑ 
                   
                     n 
                     = 
                     1 
                   
                   N 
                 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         A 
                         IVUS 
                       
                       - 
                       
                         A 
                         Angio 
                       
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   2 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       where A IVUS  is the cross-sectional area of the vessel as depicted in images 1 to N of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and A Angio  is the cross-sectional area of the vessel as depicted in the three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based on the obtained angiographic image. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data are axially aligned with the three-dimensional image of the vessel by applying a skewing displacement. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data are axially aligned with the three-dimensional image of the vessel by applying a warping displacement. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data are circumferentially aligned with the three-dimensional image of the vessel based on a best angular fit. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the best angular fit is determined for a plurality of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the best angular fit is determined for each of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein a degree of rotation between adjacent images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is limited. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the degree of rotation between adjacent images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is limited by a spline fit. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the degree of rotation between adjacent images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is limited by a cubic polynomial fit. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is correlated to a portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel created based upon the obtained angiographic image data in a live mode. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the angiographic image data and the IVUS image data are obtained simultaneously. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is correlated to a portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel created based upon the obtained angiographic image data in a playback mode. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the angiographic image data and the IVUS image data are obtained simultaneously. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising aligning the imaging device positioned external to the vessel segment with the imaging device positioned within the vessel segment using at least one fiduciary point. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one fiduciary point is a marker associated with the imaging device positioned within the vessel segment. 
     
     
         42 . A system, comprising:
 a processing system configured to:
 obtain angiographic image data of a vessel segment generated from an imaging device positioned external to the vessel segment; 
 create a three-dimensional image of the vessel segment based upon the obtained angiographic image data; 
 obtain intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image data of the vessel segment generated from an imaging device positioned within the vessel segment, wherein the IVUS image data comprises a series of intravascular images acquired as the imaging device positioned within the vessel segment is moved through and along the vessel segment; 
 correlate the IVUS image data to the three-dimensional image of the vessel such that each of the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data is correlated to a portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel created based upon the obtained angiographic image data, wherein correlating the IVUS image data to the three-dimensional image of the vessel includes aligning the images of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data both axially and circumferentially to the corresponding portions of the three-dimensional image of the vessel; and 
 outputting a signal to a display in communication with the processing system to render simultaneously on the display an image of the series of intravascular images of the IVUS image data and at least the correlated portion of the three-dimensional image of the vessel as determined by the correlating step.