Patent ID: 7620225

Claim:
A method to visualize for visualizing tubular anatomical structures from 3D recorded medical images, the method comprising: providing segmented 3D image data of a tubular structure; automatically approximating the tubular structure represented by the segmented 3D image data via a multiplicity of mutually adjacent at least one of cylindrical and conically tapering elements; and displaying the multiplicity of mutually adjacent at least one of cylindrical and conically tapering elements without the segmented 3D image data of the tubular structure, wherein automatically approximating the tubular structure is performed by: setting a starting point inside the tubular structure in the segmented 3D image data; forming a sphere around the starting point as center; enlarging the sphere by steps up to a final size at which the sphere forms two continuous lines of intersection with lateral walls of the structure that prescribe the start, end, and at least one mean diameter of the element formed at this point; setting a new starting point inside the tubular structure adjacent to the already formed element; and continuing the preceding steps until a prescribable part of the structure has been traversed, and wherein the multiplicity of mutually adjacent at least one of cylindrical and conically tapering elements are projected onto a plane in such a way that bifurcations of a different hierarchical stage lie on different rings, and bifurcations of an identical hierarchical stage lie respectively on an identical ring, and wherein the projection is displayed together with the rings.