Systems and methods for determining orientation of an implanted lead

• US 10,067,659 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bokil, Hemant
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan, Sheela C
• Application Number:
  US15/244,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382128, 382232, 382233, 382244, 382247, 382173, 345418, 345419, 345424, 345420, 345581, 345606, 345427, 345426, 345423, 600300, 600407, 375 E7001, 375 E7026, 375 E7076, 375 E7081
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and system for identifying a rotational orientation of an implanted electrical stimulation lead utilize radiological images of the lead. The lead has an asymmetric marker with a longitudinal band extending around a portion of the circumference of the lead. The method and system includes obtaining radiological images of the lead; generating an isosurface image from the radiological images and displaying the isosurface image on a display device, where the isosurface image comprises an image of the longitudinal band of the marker; identifying a bulge in the isosurface image corresponding the longitudinal band of the marker; and determining a rotational orientation of the lead based on the rotational orientation of the bulge in the isosurface image.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a rotational orientation of an implanted electrical stimulation lead, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of radiological images of the lead, the lead comprising a lead body, a plurality of segmented electrodes disposed along a distal portion of the lead body, and an asymmetric marker disposed along the distal portion of the lead body and comprising a longitudinal band that extends around a portion of a circumference of the lead body and defines a marker window extending around a remainder of the circumference of the lead body and opposite the longitudinal band, wherein the asymmetric marker and lead body are formed of different materials that are distinguishable from each other in the radiological images, wherein each segmented electrode extends around no more than 50% of a circumference of the lead body;

generating an isosurface image from the plurality of radiological images and displaying the isosurface image on a display device, wherein the isosurface image comprises an image of the longitudinal band of the marker;

identifying a bulge in the isosurface image corresponding the longitudinal band of the marker; and

determining a rotational orientation of the lead based on a rotational orientation of the bulge in the isosurface image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the display device, a model of at least the distal portion of the lead body oriented along the determined rotational orientation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying a model comprises displaying the model of at least the distal portion of the lead body and including models of the segmented electrodes of the lead.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the isosurface image on the display device in response to a user command.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein rotating the isosurface image comprises continuously rotating the isosurface image in response to a user command and stopping the rotation in response to a user command.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein rotating the isosurface image comprises rotating the isosurface image about an axis selected by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a rotational orientation comprises placing an orientation axis on the isosurface image on the display device in response to a user command.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying a direction of the orientation axis in response to user input.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an isovalue from a user input and generating another isosurface image based on the isovalue.

10. A system for identifying a rotational orientation of an implanted electrical stimulation lead, the system comprising:

a display device; and

a computer processor coupled to the display device and configured and arranged to perform the following actions;

receiving a plurality of radiological images of the lead, the lead comprising a lead body, a plurality of segmented electrodes disposed along a distal portion of the lead body and an asymmetric marker disposed along the distal portion of the lead body, and comprising a longitudinal band that extend around a portion of a circumference of the lead body and defines a marker window extending around a remainder of the circumference of the lead body and opposite the longitudinal band, wherein the asymmetric marker and lead body are formed of different materials that are distinguishable from each other in the radiological images, wherein each segmented electrode extends around no more than 50% of a circumference of the lead body;

generating an isosurface image from the plurality of radiological images, wherein the isosurface image comprises an image of the longitudinal band of the marker;

displaying the isosurface image on the display device;

in response to a user command, rotating, on the display device, the isosurface image about at least one axis;

in response to a user command, displaying, on the display device, a user-selected orientation axis on the isosurface image; and

in response to a user command, displaying, on the display device, a model of at least the distal portion of the lead body oriented along the orientation axis.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise, in response to user input of an isovalue, generating another isosurface image based on the isovalue.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the actions further comprise displaying, on the display device, a slider control which the user can operate to input the isovalue.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise, in response to a user command, zooming into the isosurface image on the display device to magnify a portion of the isosurface image.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein rotating the isosurface image comprises continuously rotating the isosurface image in response to a user command and stopping the rotation in response to a user command.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein rotating the isosurface image comprises rotating the isosurface image comprises rotating the isosurface image about an axis selected by the user.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise displaying, on the display device and relative to the model, at least one anatomical or physiological structure.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the actions further comprise displaying, on the display, a calculated distance between at least one of the segmented electrodes of the lead and a one of the at least one anatomical or physiological structure.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising the lead.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise, in response to a user command, modifying, on the display device, a direction of the orientation axis.

20. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of radiological images of a lead, the lead comprising a lead body, a plurality of segmented electrodes disposed along a distal portion of the lead body, and an asymmetric marker disposed along the distal portion of the lead body and comprising a longitudinal band that extend around a portion of a circumference of the lead body and defines a marker window extending around a remainder of the circumference of the lead body and opposite the longitudinal band, wherein the asymmetric marker and lead body are formed of different materials that are distinguishable from each other in the radiological images, wherein each segmented electrode extends around no more than 50% of a circumference of the lead body;

generating an isosurface image from the plurality of radiological images, wherein the isosurface image comprises an image of the longitudinal band of the marker;

displaying the isosurface image on the display device;

in response to a user command, rotating, on the display device, the isosurface image about at least one axis;

in response to a user command, displaying, on the display device, a user-selected orientation axis on the isosurface image; and

in response to a user command, displaying, on the display device, a model of at least the distal portion of the lead body oriented along the orientation axis.