Patent ID: 7756308

Claim:
A method for obtaining registration of a three-dimensional pre-operative image data set of an anatomical vessel tree with corresponding intra-operative image data reconstructed from two-dimensional images of the vessel tree obtained in an X-ray imaging system, where the method comprises: identifying at least one pair of points on an anatomical vessel on at least two X-ray image planes that provide an indication of vessel direction; identifying two similar surface points on the surface of the corresponding three-dimensional anatomical image data; using an algorithm to successively travel in a gradient direction from said similar surface points until a diametrically opposite side of the vessel is encountered, from which center points and a centerline of the vessel are determined; determining the orientation direction of the vessel from the centerline determined from the two identified image data surface points, and determining the orientation direction of the vessel from the two points obtained from the X-ray image planes, and determining a transformation of the three-dimensional image data to obtain a best fit registration of the direction derived from the image surface points with the direction derived from the X-ray image data points.