Patent ID: 7933440

Claim:
A method for assisting evaluation of first and second images, respectively acquired at different points in time, of an organ system, said first and second images containing corresponding representations of said organ system with said organ system, in each of said first and second images, exhibiting a first region and a differentiatable second region representing a pathological condition, with said pathological condition being represented more strongly in said first region of each of said first and second images, said method comprising the steps of: automatically electronically determining a registration procedure that brings only the respective first regions in the first and second images into registration with each other; extending said registration procedure determined for said first region to encompass said second region in said first image by enlarging said first region in one of said first and second images and expanding the registration of said first region in said first image with said first region in said image corresponding to the enlarged first region, thereby obtaining an extended registration in said first image; transforming said second image by applying said extended registration thereto to cause said second region in said second image to conform to the second region in said first image according to said registration procedure, thereby obtaining a transformed second image; and automatically presenting an evaluation result that establishes a change in said pathological condition between said respective points in time, said result being selected from a group consisting of visually presenting said transformed second image simultaneously with the image with the extended registration, and automatically determining a difference image between said transformed second image and said image with the extended registration.