Patent ID: 8116844

Claim:
A method for acquiring angiographic data sets of a region of an examination subject in whose bloodstream a contrast agent has been introduced, comprising the steps of: operating an angiography apparatus to acquire an angiographic data set of a region of the examination subject to be examined during an arterial propagation phase of the contrast agent in the bloodstream, as a reference data set containing reference data; operating said angiography apparatus to acquire additional angiographic data sets of said region; in a processor, automatically determining based on said reference data set, variations that are caused in at least some of said additional data sets due to arrival of a venous propagation phase of said contrast agent in the bloodstream; based on the determined variations, identifying in said processor, arrival of the venous propagation phase of the contrast agent in the bloodstream; and immediately upon determination in said processor of the arrival of the venous propagation phase of the contrast agent in the blood stream, emitting a signal from said processor that triggers execution of a predetermined diagnostic imaging sequence for acquisition of diagnostic data sets of said region of said examination subject.