Systems and methods for visualizing elongated structures and detecting branches therein

摘要

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to medical imaging and related methods. More specifically, particular embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for visualizing elongated structures.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for visualizing elongate objects, the method comprising:
acquiring, using a processor, digital data of a portion of an elongate object, the digital data being generated by a medical imaging device imaging a portion of a patient's body; identifying, using a processor, a centerline connecting a plurality of points within the portion of the elongate object; defining a first half-plane along the centerline, the first half-plane defining a planar area extending radially outward from the centerline along at least an axial distance of the elongate object; defining an angular wedge of the elongate object by traversing a predetermined angular distance in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction from the first half-plane to a second half-plane extending radially outward from the centerline at the predetermined angular distance from the first half-plane along at least the axial distance of the elongate object; calculating, using a processor, a view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane; and generating an electronic view of the angular wedge.