APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A DEVICE TIP WITHIN A VOLUME

• US 20110112398A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbH (Nordex Se), Paieon Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paieon Inc.
• Inventors: ZARKH, Michael, Brada, Rafael Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/487 involving fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart

Abstract

A method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body, comprising assigning a landmark in the body as a reference point compensated for periodic movements of the body, determining an auxiliary location relative to the reference point using at least one additional radiopaque marker disposed on the catheter and based on the auxiliary location determining the position of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the reference point.

Claims

1. A method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body, comprising:

assigning a landmark in the body as a reference point compensated for periodic movements of the body;

determining an auxiliary location relative to the reference point using at least one additional radiopaque marker disposed on the catheter; and

based on the auxiliary location determining the position of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the reference point.

2. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the determining an auxiliary location comprises determining on the catheter a location nearest to the reference point.

3. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the determining an auxiliary location comprises determining on the catheter a location with restricted motion with respect to a projection direction.

4. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the determining an auxiliary location comprises determining a location on the catheter disposed in a blood vessel.

5. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the determining the position of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the reference point comprises determining a spatial position of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the reference point.

6. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 5, wherein the determining a spatial position of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the reference point comprises determining the direction of the catheter in a vicinity of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the x-ray projection.

7. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 6, wherein the determining the direction of the catheter in a vicinity of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the x-ray projection comprises determining at least one of an asymmetry property of a plurality of radiopaque markers on the catheter or a relative position between a plurality of radiopaque markers on the catheter.

8. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 6, wherein the determining the direction of the catheter in a vicinity of the target radiopaque marker with respect to the x-ray projection comprises determining an asymmetry property of a plurality of at least one radiopaque marker on the catheter.

9. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter is disposed at a tip of the catheter.

10. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, comprises obtaining a plurality of positions of the target radiopaque marker acquired when the target radiopaque marker touches a wall of a cavity of the subject'"'"'s body thereby providing a spatial representation of the wall of the cavity.

11. The method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body according to claim 1, wherein the reference point compensated for periodic movements of the subject'"'"'s body is obtained by modifying the position of the reference point with a reverse displacement of determined periodic movements of the subject'"'"'s body.

12. A method for determining by an x-ray projection a position of a target radiopaque marker disposed on a catheter in a subject'"'"'s body, comprising:

assigning a landmark in the subject'"'"'s body as a reference point;

determining an auxiliary location, compensated for periodic movements of the subject'"'"'s body, relative to the reference point using at least one additional radiopaque marker disposed on the catheter; and

based on the auxiliary location determining the position of the target radiopaque marker, compensated for periodic movements of the subject'"'"'s body, with respect to the reference point.

13. A method for determining in an x-ray projection the direction of at least a part of a catheter having a longitudinal dimension, comprising:

projecting a catheter having at least one radiopaque marker shaped for manifesting the direction thereof with respect to an x-ray projection; and

determining at least an asymmetry property of the at least one radiopaque marker as projected, thereby obtaining the direction of the part of the catheter in a vicinity of the at least one radiopaque marker with respect to the x-ray projection.

14. The method for determining in an x-ray projection the direction of at least a part of a catheter having a longitudinal dimension according to claim 13, wherein the least one radiopaque marker is shaped as an open ring having two ends with a generally straight rod attached to one end of the open ring in an orientation generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the catheter.

15. The method for determining in an x-ray projection the direction of at least a part of a catheter having a longitudinal dimension according to claim 13, wherein the at least one radiopaque marker comprises at least one radiopaque marker shaped as a ring with a generally straight rod attached to the ring in an orientation generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the catheter and at least one radiopaque marker shaped a helix.

16. A method for compensating a position of a landmark in a subject affected by periodic motions, comprising:

obtaining a multiplicity of images comprising a detectable marker disposed by the landmark at multiple phases within the at least one periodical motion;

modeling the motions of the landmark with respect to phases of the at least one periodical motion by determining a displacement of the position of the detectable marker due to at least one periodical cycle; and

compensating for the motions of the landmark due to periodic motion in at least one image subsequently acquired at a phase of a periodic motion by applying a displacement of the modeled displacement respective to the phase at the least one image subsequently acquired.

17. The method for compensating a position of a landmark in a subject affected by periodic movements according to claim 16, wherein the at least one image subsequently acquired comprises a plurality of images subsequently acquired at one or more phases of a periodic motion.

18. The method for compensating a position of a landmark in a subject affected by periodic movements according to claim 16, wherein the detectable marker is a radiopaque marker detectable in x-ray imaging.

19. A method for mapping a wall of a cavity in a subject'"'"'s body affected by periodic movements, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of x-ray projections of a radiopaque marker touching the wall at a plurality of locations;

determining a plurality of spatial positions of the radiopaque marker with respect to a position of a landmark compensated for the periodic movements; and

constructing the plurality of spatial positions into a spatial representation of the wall.

20. A catheter having a longitudinal dimension and adapted for detecting a direction of at least a part thereof with respect an x-ray projection, the catheter comprising at least one radiopaque marker shaped for manifesting the direction thereof with respect to an x-ray projection.

21. The catheter having a longitudinal dimension and adapted for detecting a direction of at least a part thereof with respect an x-ray projection according to claim 20, wherein the least one radiopaque marker is shaped as an open ring having two ends with a generally straight rod attached to one end of the open ring in an orientation generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the catheter.

22. The catheter having a longitudinal dimension and adapted for detecting a direction of at least a part thereof with respect an x-ray projection according to claim 20, wherein the at least one radiopaque marker comprises at least one radiopaque marker shaped as a ring with a generally straight rod attached to the ring in an orientation generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the catheter and at least one radiopaque marker shaped a helix.