MEDICAL TRACKING SYSTEM USING A GAMMA CAMERA

• US 20070167712A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Pedain, Christoph, Keglovich, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/373 using light, e.g. by using optical scanners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/392 Radioactive markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

A medical tracking system includes a localization system operative to spatially localize medical instruments; a computer operative to assign absolute and/or relative positions of said instruments in a coordinate system; and at least one localizable gamma camera operative to detect gamma radiation emitted from a tracer material.

Claims

1. A medical tracking system, comprising:

a localization system operative to spatially localize medical instruments;

a computer operative to assign absolute and/or relative positions of said instruments in a coordinate system; and

at least one localizable gamma camera operative to detect gamma radiation emitted from a tracer material.

2. The medical tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a camera based localization system utilizing at least one of a video camera system or an infrared camera system, said camera system defining said coordinate system.

3. The medical tracking system of claim 2, further comprising instrument markers detectable by said gamma camera.

4. The medical tracking system of claim 2, wherein said gamma camera includes tracking markers that enable the gamma camera to be spatially localized and/or identified in said tracking system.

5. The medical tracking system of claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic localization system operative to create an electromagnetic field in which objects can be localized, said electromagnetic field defining said coordinate system.

6. The medical tracking system of claim 1, wherein said coordinate system is defined on the basis of determined positions of said gamma camera and/or one or more of said localized instruments.

7. A medical navigation system comprising the medical tracking system of claim 1.

8. The medical navigation system of claim 7, further comprising a memory device operable to store images obtained by said gamma camera.

9. The medical navigation system of claim 7, further comprising an image output for displaying images obtained by said gamma camera together with at least one of:

spatially assigned or registered patient image data;

spatially assigned or registered instruments or their positional data;

instruments localized by said gamma camera;

or

said gamma camera itself.

10. The medical navigation system of claim 9, wherein the patient image data includes CT image data and/or MR image data.

11. A tracking method in a medical environment, comprising:

spatially localizing medical instruments;

assigning via computer assistance absolute and/or relative positions of said instruments in a coordinate system; and

localizing at least one gamma camera operative to detect gamma radiation emitted from a tracer material.

12. The tracking method of claim 11, wherein assigning includes using at least one of:

a coordinate system defined by a camera based localization system having at least one video camera system or infrared camera system;

a coordinate system defined by an electromagnetic localization system creating an electromagnetic field in which objects can be localized;

or

a coordinate system defined on the basis of determined positions of said gamma camera and/or one or more of said localized instruments.

13. The tracking method of claim 12, wherein assigning includes using at least two of said coordinate systems in combination, and correlating between the at least two coordinate systems in the localization of instruments and/or said gamma camera to create a multi-modal tracking system.

14. The tracking method of claim 11, further comprising using an image or images captured by the gamma camera in an image guided surgery system, a medical navigation system and/or a medical/surgical planning system performing or planning at least one of the following:

displaying images captured by the gamma camera;

storing images captured by the gamma camera;

creating patient image data sets from images captured by the gamma camera;

spatially assigning or registering previously acquired patient image data to the images captured by the gamma camera;

spatially assigning or registering instruments or their positional data to the images captured by the gamma camera;

displaying said instruments localized by said gamma camera or said gamma camera itself in positional relationship to said image data sets created or acquired;

displaying said tracer material in selectively enriched regions of interest.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein spatially assigning or registering previously acquired patient image data includes using CT image data and/or MR image data as the patient image data.

16. The tracking method of claim 14, wherein displaying said instruments includes displaying the instruments together with information relevant to a medical procedure and/or with information relevant to the positioning of an instrument.

17. The tracking method of claim 11, wherein spatially localizing medical instruments includes using the gamma camera to localize an instrument or a part of an instrument by detecting a tracer material irradiating gamma energy on said instrument.