DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING TEMPORALLY RESOLVED INTENSITY TRACING

A diagnostic imaging system (100, 200) and method generates a plurality of temporally resolved volume image representations (130, 132, . . . , 134). A time course projection processor (140, 240) temporally collapses the volume image representations. A spatial projection processor (146, 246) performs a maximum or minimum intensity process along rays through voxels of a three-dimensional image representation. By sequentially temporally collapsing and maximum or minimum intensity projecting, in either order, the plurality of temporally resolved volume image representations is reduced to a two-dimensional temporally collapsed and spatially projected image representation (148, 248). In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to angiography, and more preferably to magnetic resonance angiography. In certain embodiments, time course information, such as blood flow rate information, vessel wall dynamics, contrast agent propagation, contrast agent peak arrival time, and the like, is logged in a database (142), providing additional diagnostic information or timing information for future reference. In this manner, more accurate images of vessel lumina, as well as blood flow time variant effects, are obtained.