Visualizing vascular structures

1. A device for visualizing vascular structures, comprising:

a data provision unit;

a data processing module; and

an output unit;

wherein the data provision unit is configured to provide a first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images of a region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray mask images; and to provide a second sequence of contrast X-ray images of the region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray live-images;

wherein the data processing module is configured to perform a first spatial subtraction for the first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images resulting in a first sequence of spatial-subtracted mask images; and to perform a second spatial subtraction for the second sequence of contrast X-ray images resulting in a second sequence of spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images; and to perform a temporal subtraction by subtracting the spatial-subtracted mask images from the spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images resulting in a sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images;

wherein the output unit is configured to output the sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a display is provided, which is configured to display the sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images.

3. A medical imaging system for visualizing vascular structures, comprising:

an X-ray imaging device comprising an X-ray source and an X-ray detector; and

the device for visualizing vascular structures according to claim 1 ;

wherein the X-ray imaging device is configured to provide at least a plurality of X-ray images of a region of interest of a patient as the second sequence of contrast X-ray images.

4. A method for visualizing vascular structures, comprising the following steps:

a1) providing a first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images of a region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray mask images;

a2) performing a first spatial subtraction for the first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images resulting in a first sequence of spatial-subtracted mask images;

b1) providing a second sequence of contrast X-ray images of the region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray live-images;

b2) performing a second spatial subtraction for the second sequence of contrast X-ray images resulting in a second sequence of spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images; and

c) performing a temporal subtraction by subtracting the spatial-subtracted mask images from the spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images resulting in a sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein temporal subtraction is a motion compensated subtraction, which is a subtraction of the spatial-subtracted motion compensated mask images from the spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein it is provided:

d) displaying the sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first spatial subtraction and/or the second spatial subtraction comprises:

estimating a soft tissue map of soft-tissue for each image of the sequences of X-ray images; and

subtracting the estimated soft tissue map from the X-ray image.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the estimating of the soft-tissue comprises harmonization techniques; wherein spatial low-frequencies are estimated in low multi-resolution pyramid levels, and un-wanted polarities or frequencies are attenuated or dumped.

9. A computing unit excuting a computer program element for controlling a device for visualizing vascular structures, comprising:

a data provision unit;

a data processing module; and

an output unit;

wherein the data provision unit is configured to provide a first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images of a region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray mask images; and to provide a second sequence of contrast X-ray images of the region of interest of a patient for use as raw X-ray live-images;

wherein the data processing module is configured to perform a first spatial subtraction for the first sequence of non-contrast X-ray images resulting in a first sequence of spatial-subtracted mask images; and to perform a second spatial subtraction for the second sequence of contrast X-ray images resulting in a second sequence of spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images; and to perform a temporal subtraction by subtracting the spatial-subtracted mask images from the spatial-subtracted X-ray live-images resulting in a sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images;

wherein the output unit is configured to output the sequence of spatial-temporal subtracted X-ray live-images, which, when being executed by the computing unit, is adapted to perform the method steps of claim 4 .

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer program element of claim 9 .