AUTOMATIC STABILIZATION OF AN IMAGE STREAM OF A MOVING ORGAN

• US 20100157041A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Ran, Steinberg, Alexander, Klaiman, Eldad, Tolkowsky, David
• Granted Patent: US 11,179,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22044 with a pointed tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22094 for crossing total occlusions, i.e. piercing
• 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 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 : Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 : for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 : involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 : for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 : for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 : extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 : combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 : for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 : Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10121 : Fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 : Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 : Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 : Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 : of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/034 : of medical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 : Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a tool inside a portion of a subject'"'"'s body that undergoes motion. A plurality of image frames are acquired of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body. The image frames are image tracked by (a) automatically identifying at least a feature of the tool in at least a portion of the image frames, and (b) aligning the tool in image frames of the portion of the image frames, based on the automatic identifying. The image-tracked image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body are displayed as an image stream. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method for imaging a tool inside a portion of a subject'"'"'s body that undergoes motion, the method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body;

image tracking the image frames by;

automatically identifying at least a feature of the tool in at least a portion of the image frames, and

aligning the tool in image frames of the portion of the image frames, based on the automatic identifying; and

displaying, as an image stream, the image-tracked image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein aligning the tool comprises translating at least one of the image frames.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein aligning the tool comprises rotating at least one of the image frames.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein aligning the tool comprises scaling at least one of the image frames.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a balloon, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the balloon.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a stent, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the stent.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a graft, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the graft.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a replacement valve, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the replacement valve.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a hole-closing tool for closing a hole in a septal wall, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the hole-closing tool.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a valve-placement tool for facilitating placement of a replacement valve, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the valve-placement tool.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising designating at least one image frame as not providing sufficient visibility of the feature of the tool, and, in response to designating the image frame, not displaying the designated image frame in the image stream.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tool includes a valve-repair tool, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the valve-repair tool.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tool includes a valve-suturing tool for suturing a valve, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the valve-suturing tool.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tool includes a valve-leaflet-clipping tool for clipping a valve, and wherein automatically identifying at least the feature of the tool comprises automatically identifying at least a feature of the valve-leaflet-clipping tool.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the image-tracked image frames comprises displaying an image stream in which motion of the tool relative to the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is visible, but motion of the tool that is the same as motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is not visible.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein displaying the image-tracked image frames comprises displaying an image stream in which motion of the tool relative to the portion of the subject'"'"'s body over a cycle of cyclical motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is shown.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the feature of the tool comprises deriving a feature of the tool from at least one portion of the tool that is generally visible in the image frames.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein deriving the feature comprises deriving a virtual line that connects radiopaque portions of the tool.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein deriving the feature comprises deriving an average location of radiopaque portions of the tool.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the feature of the tool comprises identifying at least one radiopaque marker of the tool.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein identifying the marker comprises distinguishing between the marker and contrast agent.

22. Apparatus for use with a portion of a subject'"'"'s body that undergoes motion, the apparatus comprising:

a tool configured to be placed inside the portion;

an image-acquisition device configured to acquire a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body;

a display; and

at least one processor configured to image track the image frames, the processor comprising;

image-receiving functionality configured to receive the image frames into the processor;

tool-identifying functionality configured to automatically identify at least a feature of the tool in at least a portion of the image frames; and

frame-aligning functionality configured to align the tool in image frames of the portion of the image frames, based on the automatic identifying; and

display-driving functionality configured to drive the display to display, as an image stream, the image-tracked image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the frame-aligning functionality is configured to translate at least one of the image frames.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the frame-aligning functionality is configured to rotate at least one of the image frames.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the frame-aligning functionality is configured to scale at least one of the image frames.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a balloon.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a replacement valve, wherein the tool comprises a valve-placement tool configured to facilitate placement of the replacement valve.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a stent.

29. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a graft.

30. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a replacement valve.

31. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a hole-closing tool configured to close a hole in a septal wall of the subject.

32. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to designate at least one image frame as not providing sufficient visibility of the feature of the tool, and, wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display not to display the designated image frame in the image stream.

33. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a valve-repair tool configured to repair a valve of the subject.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the tool comprises a valve-suturing tool configured to suture a valve of the subject.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the tool comprises a valve-leaflet-clipping tool configured to clip a valve of the subject.

36. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to display an image stream in which motion of the tool relative to the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is visible, but motion of the tool that is the same as motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is not visible.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to display an image stream in which motion of the tool relative to the portion of the subject'"'"'s body over a cycle of cyclical motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body is shown.

38. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to derive the feature of the tool from at least one portion of the tool that is generally visible in the image frames.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to derive a virtual line that connects radiopaque portions of the tool.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to derive an average location of radiopaque portions of the tool.

41. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to identify at least one radiopaque marker of the tool.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the tool-identifying functionality is configured to distinguish between the marker and contrast agent.

43. A method for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that moves as a result of cardiac cyclic activity of the subject and that also undergoes additional motion that is at least partially a result of a respiratory cycle of the subject, the method comprising:

identifying a given phase of the cardiac cyclic activity;

generating a stabilized set of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body

by outputting a set of image frames corresponding to image frames of the portion acquired during the given phase, and

by image tracking at least the set of image frames to reduce imaged motion of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body associated with the additional motion; and

displaying the tracked set of image frames of the portion of the subject'"'"'s body