System and method for visualization and navigation of three-dimensional medical images

• US 20050228250A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Viatronix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Viatronix, Inc.
• Inventors: Meissner, Michael, Grimm, Soren, Li, Wei, Economos, George, Dachille, Frank C., Bitter, Ingmar
• Application Number:
  US10/496,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• 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 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/468 allowing annotation or message recording
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 : Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 : related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467

Abstract

A user interface (90) comprises an image area that is divided into a plurality of views for viewing corresponding 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of an anatomical region. Tool control panes (95-101) can be simultaneously opened and accessible. The segmentation pane (98) enables automatic segmentation of components of a displayed image within a user-specified intensity range or based on a predetermined intensity

Claims

1. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for rendering a user interface for displaying medical images and enabling user interaction with the medical images, the method steps comprising:

displaying an image area that is divided into a plurality of views for viewing corresponding 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of an anatomical region; and

displaying a plurality of tool control panes that enable user interaction with the images displayed in the views, wherein plurality of tool control panes can be simultaneously opened and accessible.

2. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein the displayed tool control panes are arranged in a stack.

3. The program storage device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for automatically opening a plurality of control panes corresponding to a user interaction mode, in response to a user selection of the user interaction mode.

4. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein the control panes comprise a layouts pane that enables a user to select one of a plurality of layouts of the image area.

5. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein the control panes comprise a segmentation pane comprising a tool button that is selectable to automatically segment components of a displayed image within a user-specified intensity range.

6. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the segmentation pane comprises a preset button that is selectable to automatically segment components of a displayed image within a predetermined intensity range.

7. The program storage device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined intensity range includes a range for air.

8. The program storage device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined intensity range includes a range for tissue.

9. The program storage device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined intensity range includes a range for muscle

10. The program storage device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined intensity range includes a range for bone.

11. The program storage device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined intensity range includes a user-specified range.

12. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the control panes comprise a component pane that provides a list of segmented components.

13. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the component pane comprises a tool button for locking a segmented component, wherein locking prevents the segmented component from being included in another segmented component during a segmentation process.

14. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the component pane comprises an editable text field that enables a user to label a segmented component.

15. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the component pane comprises a color selection button that enables a user to select a color in which the segmented component is displayed.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the component pane comprises a opacity selection button that enables a user to select an opacity for a selected color of the segmented component.

17. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the component pane comprises a visibility selection button that enables a user to render a segmented component visible or invisible in a view.

18. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein the control panes comprise an annotations pane comprising a tool that enables acquisition and display of statistics of a segmented component.

19. The program storage device of claim 19, wherein the statistics comprise one of an average image intensity, a minimum image intensity, a maximum intensity, standard deviation of intensity, volume, and any combination thereof.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for rendering a user interface for displaying medical images and enabling user interaction with the medical images, the method steps comprising:

displaying an image area that is divided into a plurality of views for viewing corresponding 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of an anatomical region;

displaying icons representing containers for volume rendering settings, wherein volume rendering settings can be shared among a plurality of views or copied into another view.

21. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises volume data.

22. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises segmentation data.

23. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a color map.

24. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a window/level.

25. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a virtual camera.

26. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a 2D slice position.

27. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a text annotation.

28. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a position marker.

29. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a direction marker.

30. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein a setting comprises a measurement annotation.

31. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein sharing is initiated by selecting a textual or graphical representation of the rendering setting and dragging the selected representation to a 2D or 3D view in which the selected representation is to be shared.

32. The program storage device of claim 31, wherein copying is performed by selection of an additional key while dragging the selected setting in the view.

33. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for rendering a user interface for displaying medical images and enabling user interaction with the medical images, the method steps comprising:

displaying an image area that is divided into a plurality of views for viewing corresponding 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) images of an anatomical region; and

displaying an active 2D image in a 3D image to provide cross-correlation of the associated views.

34. The program storage device of claim 33, wherein the instructions for performing the step of displaying comprise instructions for rendering the 2D image in the 3D image with depth occlusion.

35. The program storage device of claim 33, wherein the instructions for performing the step of displaying comprise instructions for rendering the 2D image in the 3D view, wherein the 2D image is partially transparent.

36. The program storage device of claim 33, wherein the instructions for performing the step of displaying comprise instructions for rendering the 2D image as colored shadow on a surface of an object in the 3D image.

37. The program storage device of claim 33, comprising instructions for making the 2D image active by clicking on the associated 2D view.

38. The program storage device of claim 33, comprising instructions for making the 2D image active by moving a pointer over the 2D image view.