Motion-compensated coronary flow from projection imaging

1. Examination apparatus ( 100 ) for motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics from an image sequence of an object of interest ( 15 , 107 ), the examination apparatus ( 100 ) comprising:

an analysis unit ( 118 ) adapted for performing a determination of a first flow dynamics in a region of the object of interest ( 15 , 107 );

wherein the determination comprises a motion compensation performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the image sequence;

wherein the first and second markers are distance markers of an interventional device; and

wherein a motion of the markers corresponds to a motion of the object of interest.

2. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

further comprising an acquisition unit ( 108 ) adapted for acquiring the image sequence in one of a dedicated flow run and a standard acquisition run.

3. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 2 ,

wherein the image sequence is acquired according to the following scheme:

acquisition of first data during a cardiac cycle;

application of a small and diluted amount of contrast agent; and

subsequent acquisition of second data corresponding to an inflow and outflow of the contrast agent during a multitude of cardiac cycles.

4. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the image sequence is an angiogram data set.

5. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the motion compensation comprises the use of heartbeat data, respiration data, voluntary and involuntary patient motion data.

6. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the analysis unit ( 118 ) is further adapted for:

determining a time intensity curve of a contrast agent concentration on the basis of at least the first position of the first marker and the second position of the second marker; and

performing a model-based flow analysis adapted to determine at least one of a total volume flow and a pressure decline, even in the presence of strong pulsation effects.

7. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 6 ,

wherein the model-based flow analysis includes varying flow speeds over the cardiac cycle and compensates for such pulsatility when electrocardiogram data is available as input.

8. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the object of interest ( 15 , 107 ) is a coronary artery; and

wherein the region of the object of interest ( 15 , 107 ) is a first vessel segment of the coronary artery.

9. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the interventional device is one of a guide wire, a semi-transparent guide wire, a stenting device, and a ballooning device.

10. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the analysis unit ( 118 ) is further adapted for:

compensating a variability of the first volume flow over the cardiac cycle by one of a defined time of contrast agent injection or by an inclusion and compensation of the variability in a subsequent analysis.

11. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 10 ,

wherein the subsequent analysis is a videodensitometric analysis.

12. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the analysis unit ( 118 ) is further adapted for:

determining a second volume flow in a second vessel segment of the coronary artery; and

determining a pressure decline in the first vessel segment on the basis of the second volume flow.

13. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 ,

wherein the examination apparatus ( 100 ) is adapted as one of a Cathlab imager in fixed imaging geometry, a 3D computed tomography apparatus, and a 3D rotational X-ray apparatus.

14. The examination apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 , configured as one of the group consisting of a material testing apparatus and a medical application apparatus.

15. A method of motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics from an image sequence of an object of interest ( 15 , 107 ) with an examination apparatus, method comprising the step of:

determining of a first flow dynamics in a region of the object of interest ( 15 , 107 );

wherein the determination comprises a motion compensation performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the image sequence; and

wherein a motion of the markers corresponds to a motion of the object of interest;

determining a time intensity curve of a contrast agent concentration on the basis of at least the first position of the first marker and the second position of the second marker; and

performing a model-based flow analysis adapted to determine at least one of a total volume flow and a pressure decline;

wherein the model-based flow analysis includes varying flow speeds over the cardiac cycle and compensates for such pulsatility when electrocardiogram data is available as input.

16. A computer-readable medium ( 402 ), in which a computer program of motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics from an image sequence of an object of interest ( 15 , 107 ) is stored which, when being executed by a processor ( 401 ), is adapted to carry out the step of:

determining of a first flow dynamics in a region of the object of interest ( 15 , 107 );

wherein the determination comprises a motion compensation performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the image sequence; and

wherein a motion of the markers corresponds to a motion of the object of interest; and

compensating a variability of the first volume flow over a cardiac cycle by a defined time of contrast agent injection.

17. A program element of motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics from an image sequence of an object of interest ( 15 , 107 ), which, when being executed by a processor ( 401 ), is adapted to carry out the step of:

determining of a first flow dynamics in a region of the object of interest ( 15 , 107 );

wherein the determination comprises a motion compensation performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the image sequence; and

wherein a motion of the markers corresponds to a motion of the object of interest; and

compensating a variability of the first volume flow over a cardiac cycle by an inclusion and compensation of the variability in a videodensitometric analysis.