System for use in displaying images of a body part

• US 20060122483A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surgical Navigation Technologies, Inc. (Medtronic Plc), St. Louis University
• Original Assignee: Surgical Navigation Technologies, Inc. (Medtronic Plc), St. Louis University
• Inventors: Foley, Kevin T., Bucholz, Richard D., Smith, Kurt R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3929 Active markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 : using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 : Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 : for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 : Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• 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: A61B 90/10 : for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 : Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

A system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body. The system generates a display representing the position of two or more body elements during the procedure based on a reference image data set generated by a scanner. The system produces a reference image of a body elements, discriminates the body elements in the images and creates an image data set representing the images of the body elements. The system produces a density image of the body element. The system modifies the image data set according to the density image of the body element during the procedure, generates a displaced image data set representing the position and geometry of the body element during the procedure, and compares the density image of the body element during the procedure to the reference image of the body element. The system also includes a display utilizing the displaced image data set generated by the processor to illustrate the position and geometry of the body element during the procedure. Methods relating to the system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body, said system for use with a reference image of a portion of the body and an image data set discriminated from the reference image and representing a position and a geometry of the portion of the body;

said system comprising;

an imaging device for producing, during the procedure, a density image of the portion of the body;

a processor modifying the image data set according to the density image, said processor generating a displaced image data set representing the position and geometry of the portion of the body during the procedure; and

a display utilizing the displaced image data set illustrating the position and geometry of the portion of the body during the procedure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging device comprises a reference array for providing a reference and a device for determining the position of one or more reference points of the body element to be displayed relative to the reference array.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the imaging device is a radiographic device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the radiographic device is a fluoroscopic device comprising a fluoroscopic tube and a fluoroscopic plate.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the fluoroscopic tube is fixed in relation to the fluoroscopic plate so that a particular portion of the body may be positioned therebetween for producing the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure and wherein the processor compares the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure to the position of the portion of the body as represented by the image data set.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the fluoroscopic tube is fixed in relation to a fluoroscopic plate so that a particular portion of the body may be positioned therebetween for producing the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure and wherein the processor compares the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure to the geometry of the portion of the body as represented by the image data set.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein said fluoroscopic tube has sensors thereon in communication with the reference array and wherein the determining device is adapted to determine the position of the tube relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the portion of the body can be determined.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein said fluoroscopic plate has sensors thereon in communication with the reference array and wherein the determining device is adapted to determine the position of the plate relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the portion of the body can be determined.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein said reference array has sensors thereon in communication with the fluoroscopic device and wherein the determining device is adapted to determine the position of the fluoroscopic device relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the portion of the body can be determined.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging device is a radiographic device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the radiographic device is a fluoroscopic device comprising a fluoroscopic tube and a fluoroscopic plate.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the fluoroscopic tube is fixed in relation to the fluoroscopic plate so that a particular portion of the body may be positioned therebetween for producing the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure and wherein the processor compares the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure to the position of the portion of the body as represented by the image data set.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the fluoroscopic tube is fixed in relation to a fluoroscopic plate so that a particular portion of the body may be positioned therebetween for producing the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure and wherein the processor compares the density image of such particular portion of the body during the procedure to the geometry of the portion of the body as represented by the image data set.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein said fluoroscopic tube has sensors thereon in communication with the reference array and wherein the determining device is adapted to determine the position of the tube relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the portion of the body can be determined.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said fluoroscopic plate has sensors thereon in communication with the reference array and wherein the determining device is adapted to determine the position of the plate relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the portion of the body can be determined.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor modifies the image data set to generate the displaced data set using an iterative process such that a two-dimensional projection through the displaced image data set matches the density image during the procedure.

17. A system for displaying relative positions of first and second body portions during a procedure on a body, the system for use with an image data set stored in a memory, the image data set representing a position and geometry of the first and second body portions;

said system for use with an image data subset defining a position and geometry of the first and second body portions, the image data subset created from discriminating the first and second body portions of the image data set, the image data subset further having a plurality of data points correlatable to a plurality of reference points for the first and second body portions, the position of reference points of a particular body portion relative to the data points for that particular body portion being known;

said system comprising;

a reference system determining, during the procedure, the position of the reference points of the first body portion relative to the reference points of the second body portion;

a radiographic device producing a two-dimensional radiographic image of the first and second body portions during the procedure which includes the identification of reference points of the first and second body portions;

wherein the processor further digitizes the radiographic image and generates a displaced image data set representing the position of the first and second body portions during the procedure by modifying the image data subset using an iterative process such that a two-dimensional projection through the displaced image data set substantially matches the radiographic image; and

a display utilizing the displaced image data set to display the relative position of the first and second body portions during the procedure.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the reference system comprises a plurality of reference frames in communication with a reference array;

wherein at least one of the plurality of reference frames is configured to be fixed in relation to a separate portion of the body of the first and second body portions and each of the plurality of reference frames being correlatable to the position of the reference points for each separate portion of the body with which each of the plurality of reference frames is fixed in relation to.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the radiographic device is equipped with sensors that are in communication with the plurality of reference frames whereby the position of the sensors relative to the reference array during the procedure is determined, whereby the position of the radiographic device is determined and whereby the position of the first and second body portions during the procedure is determined.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor translates the image data subset from the position of the first and second body portions as indicated in the image data set to the position of the first and second body portions during the procedure so that the displaced image data set consists of the translated image data subset.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein a position of the plurality of reference frames is known in relation to one of the body portions, and the reference system determines the position of the plurality of reference frames relative to the reference array so that the body may be moved during the procedure while the first and second body portions remain in fixed relation to each other and in known relation to the plurality of reference frames so that the system can determine the position of the first and second body portions after movement without re-determining the relative position of each of the reference points of the first and second body portions.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor further creates a two-dimensional projection image of the first and second body portions that have been discriminated in the image data subset.

22. The system of 17, wherein the radiographic device is a fluoroscopic device comprising a fluoroscopic tube and a fluoroscopic plate so that the first and second body portions may be positioned therebetween during the procedure.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fluoroscopic device determines a position of the two-dimensional radiographic image of the first and second body portions during the procedure, and wherein the processor compares the position of the two-dimensional radiographic image of the first and second body portions during the procedure to the position of the first and second body portions as represented by the image data subset.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the fluoroscopic device determines a position of the two-dimensional radiographic image based on a density of the first and second body portions during the procedure, and wherein the processor compares the position of the two-dimensional radiographic image based on the density of the first and second body portions during the procedure to the position of the first and second body portions as represented by the image data subset.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the radiographic device produces a two-dimensional radiographic image based on a density of the first and second body portions.

27. A method for use during a procedure, said method for use with a reference image of one or more body portions and a corresponding image data set wherein the one or more body portions are discriminated from soft tissue in the image data set, the method comprising:

producing a two-dimensional image based on density of the one or more body portions during the procedure;

producing a displaced image data set by modifying the image data set such that a two-dimensional projection through the displaced image data set matches the two-dimensional image during the procedure; and

generating a display based on the displaced image data set illustrating the position of the one or more body portions during the procedure.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of simulating the generation of a two-dimensional image of the body portions by creating a two-dimensional projection image of the one or more body portions that had been discriminated in the image data set.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of producing the displaced data set includes modifying the image data set based on an iterative process based on the two-dimensional density image.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of determining the position of the body portions during the procedure.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of generating a display based on the displaced image data set further comprises the substep of illustrating the geometry of the one or more body portions during the procedure.

32. A method for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body, said method for use with a reference image of one or more body portions wherein the one or more body portions in said reference image are discriminated to create an image data set representing the position and geometry of the one or more body portions;

said method comprising;

producing, during the procedure, a density image of the one or more body portions to be displayed;

generating a displaced image data set representing the position and geometry of the one or more body portions during the procedure, by comparing the density image of the one or more body portions during the procedure to the image data set of the one or more body portions and modifying the image data set according to the density image of the one or more body portions during the procedure; and

displaying the displaced image data set thereby illustrating the position and geometry of the one or more body portions during the procedure.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of producing a density image further comprises the substep of determining the position of one or more reference points of the one or more body portions to be displayed relative to a reference array.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of producing the density image further comprises the substep of determining the position of a fluoroscopic tube and a fluoroscopic plate relative to a reference array and thereby determining the position of the density image of the one or more body portions.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein a reference array has sensors thereon in communication with a fluoroscopic device and wherein the step of producing the density image further comprises the substep of determining a position of the fluoroscopic device relative to the reference array whereby the position of the density image of the one or more body portions can be determined.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of comparing the density image of the one or more body portions during the procedure to the position of the one or more body portions as represented by the image data set.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of comparing the density image of the one or more body portions during the procedure to the geometry of the one or more body portions as represented by the image data set.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

digitizing the density image;

generating a two-dimensional image by creating a two-dimensional projection image of the one or more body portions that have been discriminated in the image data set; and

generating a displaced image data set representing the position of the one or more body portions during the procedure by modifying the image data set using an iterative process such that the two-dimensional image matches the density image.

39. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of creating a two-dimensional projection image of the body portion that has been discriminated in the image data set.

40. A system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body, said system for use with a reference image of a portion of the body and an image data set discriminated from the reference image and representing a position and a geometry of the portion of the body;

said system comprising;

means for producing, during the procedure, a density image of the portion of the body;

a processor modifying the image data set according to the density image, said processor generating a displaced image data set representing the position and geometry of the portion of the body during the procedure; and

a display utilizing the displaced image data set illustrating the position and geometry of the portion of the body during the procedure.