Treatment planning methods, devices and systems

• US 20070092864A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Inventors: McLennan, Geoffrey, Sonka, Milan, Hoffman, Eric, Reinhardt, Joseph, Tschirren, Juerg, Garber, John
• Application Number:
  US11/542,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20070092864A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20156 Automatic seed setting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30061 Lung
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/174 involving the use of two or more images

Abstract

Treatment planning methods, devices and systems. One of the treatment planning methods includes displaying at least a portion of a set of lungs and one or more potential treatment regions; receiving a selection of a target treatment region from among the one or more potential treatment regions; and displaying one or more locations within the portion that are therapeutically linked to the target treatment region. Other treatment planning methods, devices and systems are included.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for:

determining a target treatment region within a lung;

providing a display of the target treatment region and an airway tree;

receiving a selection of a location for a therapeutic device within the airway tree; and

altering the display to indicate whether the location is therapeutically linked to the target treatment region.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, where the selection comprises clicking on the location.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, where the altering comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

7. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for:

displaying an airway tree and a target treatment region;

receiving a selection of a location for a therapeutic device within the airway tree; and

if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location, indicating that the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, where the selection comprises clicking on the location.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7, where the indicating comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

13. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for:

displaying at least a portion of a set of lungs and one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving a selection of a target treatment region from among the one or more potential treatment regions; and

displaying one or more locations within the portion that are therapeutically linked to the target treatment region.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, where the selection comprises clicking on one of the one or more potential treatment regions.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, where the displaying one or more locations comprises depicting a line extending from the target treatment region through at least a portion of an airway tree within the portion.

19. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for:

displaying at least a portion of a set of lungs and one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving a selection of a target treatment region from among the one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving an input of a location of a therapeutic device within the portion; and

if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location, indicating that the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the selection comprises clicking on one of the one or more potential treatment regions.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the indicating comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

25. A computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for:

displaying an airway tree segmented from a volumetric dataset of images;

receiving a selection of a portion of the airway tree; and

providing a display that includes the portion in straightened form and a dimensional attribute corresponding to a user-selectable location along the portion.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, where the portion is displayed in a lengthwise orientation, and the display also includes a second view of the portion that is oriented perpendicularly to the lengthwise orientation.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, where the display also includes a virtual view of the portion that is oriented perpendicularly to the lengthwise orientation.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, where the dimensional attribute has a value that can change in response to a user input, and the display also includes a location indicator that determines the value of the dimensional attribute.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, where the second view has a content that is determined by the location indicator.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, where the virtual view has a content that is determined by the location indicator.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, where the location indicator is superimposed on the lengthwise orientation of the portion.

32. An automated treatment planning method comprising:

determining a target treatment region within a lung;

providing a display of the target treatment region and an airway tree;

receiving a selection of a location for a therapeutic device within the airway tree; and

altering the display to indicate whether the location is therapeutically linked to the target treatment region.

33. The automated method of claim 32, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

34. The automated method of claim 32, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

35. The automated method of claim 32, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

36. The automated method of claim 32, where the selection comprises clicking on the location.

37. The automated method of claim 32, where the altering comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

63. A computer system configured to perform the automated methods of any of claims 32-62.

38. An automated treatment planning method comprising:

displaying an airway tree and a target treatment region;

receiving a selection of a location for a therapeutic device within the airway tree; and

if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location, indicating that the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location.

39. The automated method of claim 38, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

40. The automated method of claim 38, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

41. The automated method of claim 38, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

42. The automated method of claim 38, where the selection comprises clicking on the location.

43. The automated method of claim 38, where the indicating comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

44. An automated treatment planning method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a set of lungs and one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving a selection of a target treatment region from among the one or more potential treatment regions; and

displaying one or more locations within the portion that are therapeutically linked to the target treatment region.

45. The automated method of claim 44, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

46. The automated method of claim 44, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

47. The automated method of claim 44, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

48. The automated method of claim 44, where the selection comprises clicking on one of the one or more potential treatment regions.

49. The automated method of claim 44, where the displaying one or more locations comprises depicting a line extending from the target treatment region through at least a portion of an airway tree within the portion.

50. An automated treatment planning method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a set of lungs and one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving a selection of a target treatment region from among the one or more potential treatment regions;

receiving an input of a location of a therapeutic device within the portion; and

if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location, indicating that the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location.

51. The automated method of claim 50, where the target treatment region is emphysematic.

52. The automated method of claim 50, where the target treatment region is cancerous.

53. The automated method of claim 50, where the target treatment region includes a lung nodule.

54. The automated method of claim 50, where the selection comprises clicking on one of the one or more potential treatment regions.

55. The automated method of claim 50, where the indicating comprises highlighting the target treatment region if the target treatment region is therapeutically linked to the location and not already highlighted.

56. An automated treatment planning method comprising:

displaying an airway tree segmented from a volumetric dataset of images;

receiving a selection of a portion of the airway tree; and

providing a display that includes the portion in straightened form and a dimensional attribute corresponding to a user-selectable location along the portion.

57. The automated method of claim 56, where the portion is displayed in a lengthwise orientation, and the display also includes a second view of the portion that is oriented perpendicularly to the lengthwise orientation.

58. The automated method of claim 57, where the display also includes a virtual view of the portion that is oriented perpendicularly to the lengthwise orientation.

59. The automated method of claim 58, where the dimensional attribute has a value that can change in response to a user input, and the display also includes a location indicator that determines the value of the dimensional attribute.

60. The automated method of claim 59, where the second view has a content that is determined by the location indicator.

61. The automated method of claim 60, where the virtual view has a content that is determined by the location indicator.

62. The automated method of claim 60, where the location indicator is superimposed on the lengthwise orientation of the portion.