SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING COMPUTERIZED SIMULATIONS FOR IMAGE-GUIDED PROCEDURES USING A PATIENT SPECIFIC MODEL

• US 20090177454A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simbionix Limited (Surgical Science Sweden AB)
• Original Assignee: Simbionix Limited (Surgical Science Sweden AB)
• Inventors: Namer, Einav, BRONSTEIN, Ran, Fisher, Niv, Shilon, Ofek
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 Shape modification

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of performing computerized simulations of image-guided procedures. The method may include producing a digital image-based model of an anatomical structure based on medical image data, producing, based on the image-based model and extrapolated data, an extended model that represents the anatomical structure and adjacent anatomical regions not included in the medical image data, displaying a graphical representation of the extended model and performing a computerized simulation of an image-guided procedure using the extended model.

Claims

1. A method of performing computerized simulations of image-guided procedures, the method comprising:

producing a digital image-based model of an anatomical structure based on medical image data;

producing, based on the image-based model and extrapolated data, an extended model that represents the anatomical structure and adjacent anatomical regions not included in the medical image data;

displaying a graphical representation of the extended model; and

performing a computerized simulation of an image-guided procedure using the extended model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data is received from a scan of a patient and the image-based model is a patient-specific model related to the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the image-based model comprises producing a first polygonal mesh.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein producing the extended model comprises:

identifying a boundary of the first polygonal mesh;

selecting from a set of pre-designed generic polygonal meshes a second polygonal mesh representing an extended section that best matches the boundary, based on spatial location and geometric parameters; and

combining the boundary of the first polygonal mesh with the second polygonal mesh.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein combining the boundary comprises:

computing a center-line of a tubular section associated with the boundary; and

connecting the centerline of the tubular section of the first polygonal mesh with a centerline of the second polygonal mesh.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

removing digital data associated with a redundant section; and

scaling the second polygonal mesh such that a radius of the second polygonal mesh matches a radius of the first polygonal mesh.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the extended model comprises:

identifying a boundary of the image-based model;

identifying attributes at the boundary;

generating a procedurally-generated model based on one or more of the attributes as an extension of the image-based model, wherein the extended model includes both the image-based model and the procedurally-generated model.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the attributes at the boundary includes determining a value for a radius at the boundary and a defining a centerline of a section associated with the boundary.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the extended model comprises:

identifying a boundary of the image-based model, the image-based model is being represented in a first format;

identifying attributes at the boundary; and

selecting a predefined model to be the extended model, the predefined model is being represented in a second format different than the first format.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

converting the second format of the model into the first format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the image-based model comprises:

segmenting the medical image data;

identifying a portion of the image data that represents a desired volume of the anatomical structure; and

generating a boundary-representation of the desired volume.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data is received from a CT or MRI scanner.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical structure is a blood vessel.

14. A system for simulating an image-guided procedure, the system comprising:

a model generation unit to produce a digital image-based model of an anatomical structure based on received medical image data and to produce, based on the image-based model and extrapolated data, an extended model that represents the anatomical structure and adjacent anatomical regions not included in the medical image data; and

a simulation unit to display a graphical representation of the extended model and to perform a computerized simulation of an image-guided procedure using the extended model.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the medical image data is received from a scan of a patient and the image-based model is a patient-specific model related to the patient.

16. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device result in:

producing a digital image-based model of an anatomical structure based on medical image data;

producing, based on the image-based model and extrapolated data, an extended model that represents the anatomical structure and adjacent anatomical regions not included in the medical image data;

displaying a graphical representation of the extended model; and

performing a computerized simulation of an image-guided procedure using the extended model.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the image-based model is a first polygonal mesh and the instructions that result in producing the extended model further comprise instructions that when executed by the computing device result in:

identifying a boundary of the first polygonal mesh;

selecting from a set of pre-designed generic polygonal meshes a second polygonal mesh representing an extended section that best matches the boundary, based on spatial location and geometric parameters; and

combining the boundary of the first polygonal mesh with the second polygonal mesh.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that result in combining the boundary further comprise instructions that when executed by the computing device result in:

computing a center-line of a tubular section associated with the boundary; and

connecting the centerline of the tubular section of the first polygonal mesh with a centerline of the second polygonal mesh.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed by the computing device result in:

removing digital data associated with a redundant section; and

scaling the second polygonal mesh such that a radius of the second polygonal mesh matches a radius of the first polygonal mesh.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the instructions that result in producing the image-based model of the anatomical structure further comprise instructions that when executed by the computing device result in:

segmenting the medical image data;

identifying a portion of the image data that represents a desired

volume of the anatomical structure; and

generating a boundary-representation of the desired volume.