OPERATION OF A REMOTE MEDICAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM USING ULTRASOUND IMAGE

• US 20090062646A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Inventors: Ritter, Rogers C., Viswanathan, Raju R., Creighton, Francis M. IV, Kastelein, Nathan, Flickinger, William, Garibaldi, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions

Abstract

A method of operating a remote medical navigation system using ultrasound, employs ultrasound imaging from a medical device to supplement or to replace conventional x-ray imaging of the operating region during navigation.

Claims

1. (canceled)

29. The method according to claim 1 wherein the remote navigation system is a mechanical navigation system.

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4. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with a localized ultrasound imaging catheter and system, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the operating region;

registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system by using localization information corresponding to the ultrasound imaging catheter, and thence determining a spatial mapping between the remote navigation system and the ultrasound imaging system;

fusing the ultrasound image plane with three dimensional pre-operative data on the remote navigation system;

marking a target location on the fused image plane; and

using computer-controlled remote navigation to navigate the medical device to the selected target location.

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9. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound imaging catheter and system, where the ultrasound imaging catheter is re-oriented by robotic means as the medical device is steered by the remote navigation system, such that the medical device stays within the imaging field-of-view of the ultrasound imaging catheter.

10. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound imaging catheter and system, where a re-orientation of the ultrasound imaging catheter is computed and displayed as the medical device is steered by the remote navigation system, such that the medical device stays within the imaging field-of-view of the ultrasound imaging catheter.

11. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with a localized ultrasound imaging catheter and system, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the operating region;

registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system by using localization information corresponding to the ultrasound imaging catheter, and thence determining a spatial mapping between the remote navigation system and the ultrasound imaging system;

fusing three dimensional pre-operative image data with the ultrasound image data to provide additional anatomical context; and

navigating the medical device remotely using the fused data as additional reference.

12. (canceled)

13. A method of operating a remote navigation system that orients the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound imaging catheter and system, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the operating region;

registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system by marking two points in the distal portion of the ultrasound catheter on a pair of X-ray images, as well as an additional third point in the pair of X-ray images, marking similar points in the ultrasound image, and thence determining a spatial mapping between the remote navigation system and the ultrasound imaging system;

fusing three dimensional pre-operative image data with the ultrasound image data to provide additional anatomical context; and

navigating the medical device remotely using the fused data as additional reference.

14. (canceled)

15. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound imaging catheter and system, where the medical device is remotely steered to lie within the field-of-view of the ultrasound imaging catheter, followed by a re-orientation of the ultrasound imaging catheter as the medical device is subsequently moved to anatomical targets of interest such that the medical device subsequently continues to stay within the imaging field-of-view of the ultrasound imaging catheter.

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24. A method of operating a remote navigation system that orients the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using external ultrasound imaging, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the operating region;

registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system;

displaying an image of the operating region obtained from the ultrasonic imaging;

indicating a desired direction of movement on the displayed image;

controlling the remote navigation system to orient the distal end of the medical device in the desired direction of movement.

25. A method of operating a remote navigation system that orients the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using external ultrasound imaging, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the operating region;

registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system;

displaying an image of the operating region obtained from the ultrasonic imaging;

indicating a desired destination for the distal end of the medical device;

controlling the remote navigation system to orient the distal end of the medical device in a direction to reach the desired destination.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the step of registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system comprises registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to an imaging system that is already registered relative to the navigation system.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein the step of registering the ultrasonic imaging system relative to the remote navigation system comprises operating the remote navigation system to orient the device in a predetermined direction, and ultrasonically imaging the medical device in the predetermined direction to register the ultrasonic imaging system and the remote navigation system.

28. The method according to claim 25 wherein the remote navigation system is a magnetic navigation system.

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73. A method of navigating the distal end of a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device; and

comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen to locate the distal end of the medical device relative to the preoperative reconstruction.

74. The method according to claim 73 further comprising using the extended length of the medical device to facilitate the comparison between the comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen.

75. The method according to claim 74 wherein the extended length of the medical device is used to identify locations in the three dimensional reconstruction for comparison with the image of the portion of the body lumen.

76. A method of navigating the distal end of a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising:

creating a three-dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen;

ultrasonically imaging the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device;

comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen to locate the distal end of the medical device relative to the preoperative reconstruction;

orienting the distal end of the medical device and advancing the medical device; and

advancing the medical device in the body lumen.

77. The method according to claim 76 further comprising using the extended length of the medical device to facilitate the comparison between the comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen.

78. The method according to claim 77 wherein the extended length of the medical device is used to identify locations in the three dimensional reconstruction for comparison with the image of the portion of the body lumen.

79. A method of navigating the distal end of a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising,

creating a three-dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen;

ultrasonically imaging the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device;

comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen to locate the distal end of the medical device relative to the preoperative reconstruction;

orienting the distal end of the medical device and advancing the medical device; and

advancing the medical device in the body lumen.

80. The method according to claim 79 further comprising using the extended length of the medical device to facilitate the comparison between the comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen.

81. The method according to claim 80 wherein the extended length of the medical device is used to identify locations in the three dimensional reconstruction for comparison with the image of the portion of the body lumen.

82. A method of navigating the distal end of a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device;

displaying an image of the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device; and

orienting the displayed image by comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen to locate the distal end of the medical device relative to the preoperative reconstruction.

83. (canceled)

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85. The method according to claim 84 further comprising displaying the current location of the distal end of the medical device in a three-dimensional model of the body lumen.

86. The method according to claim 84 further comprising accepting input of a selected direction of orientation by clicking on the displayed image of the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device, and orienting the distal end of the medical device in the selected direction.

87. A method of navigating the distal end of a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising:

ultrasonically imaging the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device;

displaying an image of the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device; and

orienting the displayed image by comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen to locate the distal end of the medical device relative to the preoperative reconstruction.

88. The method according to claim 87 further comprising using the extended length of the medical device to facilitate the comparison between the comparing the image of the portion of the body lumen with a three dimensional reconstruction of the body lumen.

89. The method according to claim 88 wherein the extended length of the medical device is used to identify locations in the three dimensional reconstruction for comparison with the image of the portion of the body lumen.

90. The method according to claim 89 further comprising displaying the current location of the distal end of the medical device in a three-dimensional model of the body lumen.

91. The method according to claim 89 further comprising accepting input of a selected direction of orientation by clicking on the displayed image of the portion of the body lumen surrounding the distal end of the medical device, and orienting the distal end of the medical device in the selected direction.

92. A method of operating a remote navigation system that moves the distal end of a medical device in an operating region in a subject using as reference internally acquired ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound imaging catheter and system, where the ultrasound catheter is advanced by robotic means as the medical device is steered by the remote navigation system, such that the medical device remains within the imaging field-of-view of the ultrasound imaging catheter.

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