Patent ID: 8693758

Claim:
An imaging method for enhancing a visualization of blood vessels in an examination region of a patient during an operation, comprising: generating a 3D reconstruction image of the examination region using a preoperatively recorded 3D image dataset of the examination region; recording at least one current 2D image of the examination region by an image recording device; identifying the blood vessels from the 2D image; registering the 3D image dataset with image dataset of the 2D image based on the identification; applying a model of attenuated displacements based on a depth of penetration of the operation to the preoperatively 3D image dataset during the registration; repeating the applying layer by layer if the operation penetrates further in the depth for updating the preoperatively recorded 3D image dataset to reflect a current situation; overlaying the 3D reconstruction image and the 2D image; and playing back the overlaid image.