Segmentation apparatus for interactively segmenting blood vessels in angiographic image data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016196660-A1
Application number	US-201414912101-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates a segmentation apparatus ( 10 ) for interactively segmenting blood vessels ( 2 ) in angiographic image data ( 3 ). The segmentation apparatus ( 10 ) comprises a significant location determining unit ( 11 ) for determining one or more locations of a current segmentation ( 4 ) of the blood vessels ( 2 ) in the angiographic image data ( 3 ) as significant locations ( 5 ) at which the current segmentation ( 4 ) has a predetermined influence on a value of a blood flow parameter that is calculated based on the current segmentation ( 4 ), and a display unit ( 12 ) for displaying the significant locations ( 5 ) to an operator. Thereby, the operator can be guided to focus his/her segmentation efforts to those locations of the current segmentation ( 4 ) that are most relevant for the accuracy of the calculation of the value of the blood flow parameter. This may ease the burden on the operator during the segmentation procedure.

First claim

1 . A segmentation apparatus for interactively segmenting blood vessels in angiographic image data, wherein the segmentation apparatus comprises:
a significant location determining unit for determining one or more locations of a current segmentation of the blood vessels in the angiographic image data as significant locations at which the current segmentation has a predetermined influence on a value of a blood flow parameter that is calculated based on the current segmentation, and a display unit for displaying the significant locations to an operator.

2 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the significant location determining unit comprises:
a significant location candidate determining unit for determining one or more locations of the current segmentation as significant location candidates based on a criterion that depends on the current segmentation at the one or more locations, and a blood flow parameter calculating unit for calculating, for a simulated variation of the diameter of the current segmentation at one of the significant location candidates, the value of the blood flow parameter at one or more of the significant location candidates, wherein the significant location determining unit is adapted to determine the one of the significant location candidates as a significant location if the simulated variation of the diameter of the current segmentation results in a predetermined variation in the value of the blood flow parameter at one or more of the significant location candidates.

3 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the criterion is based on a rate of change of the diameter of the current segmentation at the one or more locations.

4 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the criterion is based on the value of the blood flow parameter calculated at the one or more locations.

5 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the significant location determining unit is adapted to determine the one of the significant location candidates if the value of the blood flow parameter at one or more of the significant location candidates transitions across a predetermined threshold as a result of the simulated variation of the diameter of the current segmentation.

6 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the display unit is adapted to display the current segmentation with the angiographic image data to the operator, wherein the significant locations are indicated by means of visual indications.

7 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the significant location determining unit comprises:
a blood flow parameter calculating unit for calculating the value of the blood flow parameter at the significant locations,
wherein the display unit is adapted for displaying the value of the blood flow parameter at the significant locations to the operator.

8 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the blood flow parameter computation unit is adapted for calculating a certainty of the value of the blood flow parameter at the significant locations,
wherein the display unit is adapted for displaying the certainty of the value of the blood flow parameter at the significant locations to the operator.

9 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the blood flow parameter calculating unit is adapted for calculating the certainty of the value of the blood flow parameter at the significant locations by simulating a variation of the diameter of the current segmentation at the significant locations according to an expected segmentation error.

10 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the significant location determining unit is adapted to determine, for a structure of the blood vessels that is only incompletely segmented in the current segmentation, whether a simulated variation of the diameter of an estimated segmentation of the incompletely segmented structure results in the predetermined variation in the value of the blood flow parameter at one or more of the significant location candidates, wherein the display unit is adapted for displaying a result of the determination to the operator by means of a visual indication.

11 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the segmentation apparatus comprises:
a segmentation modifying unit for allowing the operator to modify the current segmentation, at least at the significant locations.

12 . The segmentation apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the blood vessels include coronary arteries and the blood flow parameter is a virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR).

13 . A system for calculating values of a blood flow parameter based on a segmentation of blood vessels in angiographic image data, wherein the system comprises:
a segmentation apparatus for interactively segmenting the blood vessels in the angiographic image data as defined in claim 1 , and a blood flow parameter calculating unit for calculating the values of the blood flow parameter.

14 . A segmentation method for interactively segmenting blood vessels in angiographic image data, wherein the segmentation method comprises:
determining one or more locations of a current segmentation of the blood vessels in the angiographic image data as significant locations at which the current segmentation has a predetermined influence on a value of a blood flow parameter that is calculated based on the current segmentation, by means of a significant location determining unit, and displaying the significant locations to an operator, by means of a display unit.

15 . A segmentation computer program for interactively segmenting blood vessels in angiographic image data, wherein the segmentation computer program comprises program code means for causing the segmentation apparatus, to carry out the steps of the segmentation method as defined in claim 14 , when the segmentation computer program is run on a computer controlling the segmentation apparatus.

Assignees

• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Prevrhal Sven
• Nickisch Hannes
• Schmitt Holger

Classifications

• G06T2207/20104

  Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI] · CPC title

• G06T2207/30104

  Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion · CPC title

• G06T7/0081 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2210/41

  Medical · CPC title

• G06T2207/30048

  Heart; Cardiac · CPC title