Patent ID: 8755635

Claim:
A method for data dependent multi phase image visualization, comprising: acquiring a plurality of series of image data; registering said acquired plurality of series of image data to a same reference series of image data to create a plurality of registered series of image data, said plurality of registered series of image data comprising three series of image data of an anatomical region during phases of contrast medium distribution, said three series having a first series N that corresponds to a native phase image, a second series A that corresponds to an arterial phase image, and a third series V that corresponds to a venous phase image; combining information from said plurality of registered series of image data to create a new series of image data; and creating a further new series of image data by combining information from said plurality of registered series of image data and said new series of image data based on combination rules that utilize image feature measurements to select respective information from said plurality of registered series of image data and said new series of image data for the further new series of image data, said combination rules comprising the steps of: if a native phase image feature value is below a first predetermined threshold, then using said native phase image, if a native phase image feature value is above a second predetermined threshold, then using said native phase image, if an arterial phase image feature value is above a third predetermined threshold, then using said arterial phase image; if a difference A−N feature value is above a fourth predetermined threshold, then using said arterial phase image, if a difference V−N feature value is above a fifth predetermined threshold, then using said venous phase image, if Max (A−N, V−N) feature value is lower than a sixth predetermined threshold, then using said native phase image, and in all other cases, using said new series of image data.