FAST ANATOMICAL MAPPING USING ULTRASOUND IMAGES

• US 20110152684A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Goldberg, Aviva, Kilim, Nahum, Altmann, Andres Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 10,835,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images

Abstract

A method for three-dimensional (3D) mapping includes acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images of a cavity in a body of a living subject, the 2D images having different, respective positions in a 3D reference frame. In each of the 2D ultrasonic images, pixels corresponding to locations within an interior of the cavity are identified. The identified pixels from the plurality of the 2D images are registered in the 3D reference frame so as to define a volume corresponding to the interior of the cavity. An outer surface of the volume is reconstructed, representing an interior surface of the cavity.

Claims

1. A method for three-dimensional (3D) mapping, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images of a cavity in a body of a living subject, the 2D images having different, respective positions in a 3D reference frame;

identifying in each of the 2D ultrasonic images pixels corresponding to locations within an interior of the cavity;

registering the identified pixels from the plurality of the 2D images in the 3D reference frame so as to define a volume corresponding to the interior of the cavity; and

reconstructing, using a processor, an outer surface of the volume, which represents an interior surface of the cavity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the plurality of the 2D images comprises inserting a probe comprising an ultrasound imaging device into the body, and capturing the 2D images using the probe inside the body.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein inserting the probe comprises inserting a catheter into a heart of the subject, and wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a chamber of the heart.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein inserting the catheter comprises positioning the catheter so that the ultrasound imaging device is in a first chamber of the heart, and

wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a second chamber of the heart, other than the first chamber, such that reconstructing the outer surface comprises generating a 3D map of the interior surface of the second chamber.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the plurality of the 2D images comprises capturing the 2D images using an ultrasound probe comprising a position transducer, and

wherein registering the identified pixels comprises receiving and processing signals associated with the position transducer so as to find coordinates of the probe in the 3D reference frame, and registering the identified pixels in the 3D reference frame using the coordinates.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the pixels in the 2D ultrasonic images comprises classifying pixels corresponding to locations in the body having a low reflectance as belonging to the interior of the cavity.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein classifying the pixels comprises setting a threshold value, and classifying the pixels having respective gray-scale values below a specified threshold as belonging to the interior of the cavity.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images comprises capturing Doppler images in which color represents flow, and wherein identifying the pixels comprises classifying pixels as belonging to the interior of the cavity responsively to respective color values of the pixels.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein reconstructing the outer surface comprises applying a ball-pivoting algorithm to the pixels in the volume.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein applying the ball-pivoting algorithm comprises processing the pixels with a resolution of reconstruction that varies over the volume.

11. Apparatus for three-dimensional (3D) mapping, comprising:

an ultrasound probe, which is configured to capture a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images of a cavity in a body of a living subject, the 2D images having different, respective positions in a 3D reference frame; and

a processor, which is configured to identify in each of the 2D ultrasonic images pixels corresponding to locations within an interior of the cavity, to register the identified pixels from the plurality of the 2D images in the 3D reference frame so as to define a volume corresponding to the interior of the cavity, and to reconstruct an outer surface of the volume, which represents an interior surface of the cavity.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasound probe is configured to be inserted into the body and to capture the 2D images inside the body.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the probe comprises a catheter for insertion into a heart of the subject, wherein the catheter comprises and ultrasound imaging device, and wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a chamber of the heart.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the catheter is configured to be inserted into the heart so that the ultrasound imaging device is in a first chamber of the heart, and

wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a second chamber of the heart, other than the first chamber, such that reconstructing the outer surface comprises generating a 3D map of the interior surface of the second chamber.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasound probe comprises a position transducer, and

wherein the processor is configured to receive and process signals associated with the position transducer so as to find coordinates of the probe in the 3D reference frame, and to register the identified pixels in the 3D reference frame using the coordinates.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to classify the pixels corresponding to locations in the body having a low reflectance as belonging to the interior of the cavity.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images comprise Doppler images in which color represents flow, and wherein the processor is configured to classify pixels as belonging to the interior of the cavity responsively to respective color values of the pixels.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to apply a ball-pivoting algorithm to the pixels in the volume in order to reconstruct the outer surface of the volume.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the catheter is configured to process the pixels with a resolution of reconstruction that varies over the volume.

17. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to set a threshold value, and to classify the pixels having respective gray-scale values below a specified threshold as belonging to the interior of the cavity.

21. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a processor, cause the processor to receive a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images of a cavity in a body of a living subject, the 2D images having different, respective positions in a 3D reference frame, to identify in each of the 2D ultrasonic images pixels corresponding to locations within an interior of the cavity, to register the identified pixels from the plurality of the 2D images in the 3D reference frame so as to define a volume corresponding to the interior of the cavity, and to reconstruct an outer surface of the volume, which represents an interior surface of the cavity.

22. The product according to claim 21, wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a chamber of the heart.

23. The product according to claim 22, wherein the 2D ultrasonic images are captured using an ultrasound imaging device in a first chamber of the heart, and wherein the volume corresponds to the interior of a second chamber of the heart, other than the first chamber, such that reconstructing the outer surface comprises generating a 3D map of the interior surface of the second chamber.

24. The product according to claim 21, wherein the 2D images are captured using an ultrasound probe comprising a position transducer, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to process signals associated with the position transducer so as to find coordinates of the probe in the 3D reference frame, and to register the identified pixels in the 3D reference frame using the coordinates.

25. The product according to claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the processor to classify pixels corresponding to locations in the body having a low reflectance as belonging to the interior of the cavity.

26. The product according to claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the processor to apply a ball-pivoting algorithm to the pixels in the volume in order to reconstruct the outer surface.

27. The product according to claim 26, wherein the instructions cause the processor to process the pixels with a resolution of reconstruction that varies over the volume.