Method And Apparatus For Optimal Trajectory Planning

• US 20090259230A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Khadem, Rasool, Mokhtar, Jawad
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis

Abstract

A system and method can increase confidence or other factors of a trajectory, path, etc. for a procedure. The system can use various weighting or determining factors to identify confidence of identified trajectories. The identified trajectories can be used for various purposes, such as diagnosis or treatment.

Claims

1. A method of determining a cost value for a selected procedure, comprising:

providing data regarding a patient;

determining a plurality of trajectories for use in the procedure;

determining a cost function for at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of the trajectories; and

outputting a cost function value representation of an area defined by the plurality of determined trajectories.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing data regarding a patient includes providing at least one of patient image data, atlas data, patient history, medical statistical data, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein determining a cost function includes determining a cost function for each of the plurality of the possible trajectories;

wherein outputting the cost function value includes outputting the cost function value for each of the plurality of the possible trajectories.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein outputting the cost function value includes:

illustrating a graphical representation of at least one of the plurality of trajectories on a viewable display; and

wherein the graphical representation includes a cost function value graphical representation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cost function value graphical representation includes at least one of a color, a shading, a texture, a brightness, a contrast, a blinking rate, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing data regarding the patient includes providing atlas data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing data regarding the patient includes:

acquiring image data of the patient;

determining anatomical features in the acquired image data; and

associating a cost factor to each of the determined anatomical features.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the plurality of trajectories based upon the output cost function value; and

performing a procedure based upon the selected trajectory.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least a sub-plurality of trajectories of the plurality of trajectories based upon the outputted cost function value;

performing a procedure based upon the selected at least sub-plurality of trajectories; and

navigating the procedure with a navigation system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the navigation system includes a computer assisted surgical navigation system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the surgical navigation system includes at least one of an electromagnetic navigation system, an optical navigation system, an acoustic navigation system, an electrical potential navigation system, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing instructions with a processor system to determine the cost function, determine the trajectory, and output the cost function value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying with a display device the output cost function value and the determined trajectory of a procedure.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a memory system operable to store the provided data regarding a patient; and

providing a system operable to store at least one of atlas data, statistical data, average anatomical data, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an instrument operable to traverse the determined trajectory during a procedure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing an instrument includes providing at least one of a deep brain stimulation probe, a microelectrode-recorder, a cardiac lead, a pedicle screw, a navigation frame system, or combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a display device;

displaying image data on the display device;

displaying the cost function value on the display device super imposed on the image data, wherein displaying the cost function value includes displaying a distinct graphical representation of each of the plurality of trajectories;

selecting at least one of the plurality of trajectories; and

navigating a procedure by guiding an instrument along the selected trajectory.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting a cost function value representation of an area includes illustrating an aggregate cost function value of all of at least a sub-plurality of trajectories of the determined plurality of trajectories within the area.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein providing data regarding the patient includes providing a history of the patient;

providing a functional MRI of the patient, providing diffusion tensor image data of the patient, or combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a plurality of trajectories includes determining a plurality of distinct trajectories, determining a region defined by the plurality of trajectories, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein outputting a cost function value representation of an area defined by the plurality of determined trajectories includes outputting a representation of each of the distinct trajectories, the region defined by the plurality of trajectories, or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein outputting a cost function value representation of an area defined by the plurality of determined trajectories includes determining a distinct trajectory from a region of trajectories.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein outputting a cost function value representation of an area defined by the plurality of determined trajectories includes determining a region trajectory from a plurality of distinct trajectories.

2. The method of 1, further comprising:

determining an entry point for the procedure; and

determining a target point for the procedure;

wherein determining a trajectory includes determining all possible trajectories between the target point and the entry point.

25. A method of determining a cost function value for a selected procedure, comprising:

acquiring image data of the patient;

determining anatomical features in the acquired image data;

associating a weight to each of the determined anatomical features;

determining a plurality of possible trajectories through an anatomical region of the patient;

determining a cost function for each of the plurality of trajectories; and

outputting a graphical representation of a cost function value of the cost function for each of the plurality of the trajectories.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein acquiring image data of the patient includes acquiring magnetic resonance image data, computer tomography image data, PET image data, functional MRI image data, diffusion tensor image data, x-ray image data, or combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining anatomical features in the acquired image data includes:

performing edge detection on the image data, selecting anatomical features in the image data, performing segmentation of the image data, or combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining an entry point for the procedure;

determining a target for the procedure; and

associating a weight with each of the entry points and target points.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

associating each of the determined plurality of trajectories with at least one entry point and one target point;

wherein determining a cost function for each of the plurality of trajectories includes determining a cost function including the weight of all of the trajectories, the entry point, and the target.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein outputting a cost function value includes:

outputting a cost function value graphical representation determined with the cost function incorporating the weight determined for each of the trajectories, the entry points, and the target points.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

providing a display device operable to display the output cost function value as a graphical representation.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the graphical representation includes at least one of a shaded area, a textured area, a dashed line, a blinking line, a blinking area, a color, or combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing a processor system operable to at least one of;

determine the anatomical feature, associate a cost function with the determined anatomical feature, determine a plurality of possible trajectories, determine a cost function for each of the plurality of the trajectories, outputting a cost value, and combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing an imaging device operable to acquire the image data of the patient.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the plurality of the trajectories based upon the output cost function value;

performing a navigated procedure by moving an instrument along the selected trajectory;

tracking the instrument relative to the selected trajectory; and

displaying a representation of the instrument as the instrument is tracked.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

displaying the acquired image data of the patient;

superimposing the selected trajectory on the acquired image data of the patient; and

superimposing a graphical representation of the instrument on the image data relative to the graphical representation of the selected trajectory.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

associating a specific graphical representation of the output cost function value with the selected trajectory.

38. A system for illustrating a graphical representation of a trajectory, comprising:

a first processor operable to execute instructions to determine a cost of a trajectory for a procedure; and

a display device operable to display a graphical image, wherein the display device is operable to display the trajectory and the associated determined cost value;

wherein the cost value is displayed as a graphical representation.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

an imaging device operable to acquire image data of the patient;

a second processor operable to associate a weight with anatomical features in the image data; and

a third processor operable to determine the trajectory relative to the image data.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein all of the first processor, the second processor, and the third processor are a single processor;

and

a memory system operable to store the image data, the determined trajectories, and the cost of the trajectory.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising:

wherein the first processor is operable to execute instructions to determine a plurality of trajectories;

an input device operable to allow a user to select at least one of the plurality of trajectories determined by the first processor.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein the graphical representation includes at least one of a blinking graphical representation, a shaded graphical representation, a texture graphical representation, a color graphical representation, or combinations thereof.

43. The system of claim 40, further comprising a navigation system operable to determine the location of an instrument and to display the location of the instrument.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the navigation system includes:

an imaging device;

a processor system; and

a tracking system.