Patent ID: 7480398

Claim:
A method of registering a sequence of two-dimensional image data with three-dimensional image data of a hollow canal, the two-dimensional image data recorded by a medical endoluminal imaging device, wherein a current relative displacement of the imaging device in the hollow canal is detected and recorded during the recording of each individual two-dimensional image data set of the sequence, the method comprising: determining a three-dimensional progression of a longitudinal axis of at least a section of the hollow canal using the three-dimensional image data; transforming the three-dimensional progression into a rectilinear progression by transforming the three-dimensional image data related to the section of the hollow canal; determining and recording a set of transformation parameters describing the transformation of the three-dimensional data related to the section of the hollow canal; generating a combined three-dimensional image data record by stringing together the sequence of two-dimension image data relative to a central straight line, the individual two-dimensional image data sets included in the sequence of two-dimensional image data spaced apart according to the current relative displacement; registering the combined three-dimensional image data record with the transformed three-dimensional image data related to the section of the hollow canal by equating the central straight line with the rectilinear progression and displacing the combined three-dimensional image data record so that a reference location present in both the combined three-dimensional image data record and the transformed three-dimensional data related to the section of the hollow canal overlaps after the translation; and registering the displaced combined three-dimensional image data record or two-dimensional image data included in the displaced combined three-dimensional image data record with the three-dimensional image data using the recorded set of transformation parameters, wherein the displaced combined three-dimensional image data record or the two-dimensional image data included in the displaced combined three-dimensional image data record is further transformed using a transformation algorithm representing a reverse transformation relative to the transformation described by the set of transformation parameters.