FUSED IMAGE MOLDALITIES GUIDANCE

• US 20110178389A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eigen, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eigen, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Dinesh, Narayanan, Ramkrishnan
• Application Number:
  US13/035,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178389A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• 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 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• 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: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10136 3D ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30081 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/174 involving the use of two or more images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

An improved system and method (i.e. utility) for registration of medical images is provided. The utility registers a previously obtained volume (s) onto an ultrasound volume during an ultrasound procedure to produce a multimodal image. The multimodal image may be used to guide a medical procedure. In one arrangement, the multimodal image includes MRI information presented in the framework of a TRUS image during a TRUS procedure.

Claims

1. A method for use in prostate treatment procedures where a pre-procedure Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) image is utilized in conjunction with a current ultrasound image to guide a medical procedure, comprising:

obtaining, at a processing platform, a pre-acquired first three-dimensional (3D) image volume of a patient prostate, wherein said first 3D image volume is an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image and wherein said first 3D image volume is disposed within a first frame of reference;

identifying a first boundary surface of said first 3D image volume;

obtaining, at said processing platform, a substantially real-time second 3D image volume of the patient prostate from an ultrasound device, wherein said second 3D image volume is disposed in a second frame of reference;

identifying a second boundary surface of said second 3D image volume;

operating said processor to register said first and second boundary surfaces of said first and second 3D image volumes, respectively, to generate a surface transformation between said boundary surfaces; and

applying said surface transformation to said one of said 3D image volumes to generate a field transformation between said first and second 3D image volumes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying said field transformation to said second 3D image volume, wherein said substantially real-time second 3D image volume is displayed the first frame of reference of said pre-acquired first 3D image volume.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a point of interest within said first 3D image volume;

applying said field transformation to said point of interest, wherein said point of interest is transformed into said second frame of reference of said substantially real-time second 3D image volume.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying said point of interest in said substantially real-time second 3D image volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-acquired first 3D image volume further comprises:

at least one region of interest (ROI) delineated within said 3D volume, wherein coordinates of a geometric definition of said ROI are saved in the first frame of reference.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

applying said field transformation to said geometric definition of said at least one ROI in said first frame of reference to generate a corresponding at least one ROI in said second frame of reference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a boundary surface for at least one of said first and second 3D image volumes comprises:

segmenting a boundary of said prostate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a boundary surface for at least one of said first and second 3D image volumes comprises:

generating a mesh surface including a plurality of vertices and facets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said surface transformation comprises a set of vectors extending between corresponding vertices of a first mesh surface corresponding to said pre-acquired first 3D image volume and a second mesh surface corresponding to said second 3D image volume.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to registering said first and second boundary surfaces, rigidly aligning said first and second boundary surfaces to a substantially common frame of reference.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying said field transformation to said second 3D image volume, wherein said substantially real-time second 3D image volume is transformed into the first frame of reference of said pre-acquired first 3D image volume;

blending a portion of each corresponding voxel of said first and second 3D image volumes to generate a blended image disposed in said first frame of reference.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selectively adjusting the blending factor of said composite image to vary the composition of said composite image.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a guidance output for guiding an instrument to a physical location corresponding with the location within said prostate as represented by said second 3D image volume.

14. A method for use in prostate treatment procedures where a pre-procedure Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) image is utilized in conjunction with a current ultrasound image to guide a medical procedure, comprising:

obtaining, at a processing platform, a substantially real-time ultrasound image of a patient prostate;

using said processing platform, transforming said real-time ultrasound image into a frame of reference of a previously acquired MRI image of said patient prostate to compute a transformation between said ultrasound image and said MRI image;

identifying at least one region of interest (ROI) in said previously acquired MRI image;

applying said transformation to said at least one ROI using said processing platform, wherein said ROI is transformed into a frame of reference of said real-time image to generate a real-time ROI;

generating an display of said real-time ROI in said real-time image of said prostate.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a guidance output for guiding an instrument to a physical location corresponding with the location of said real-time ROI in said real-time image of said prostate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein transforming said real-time image generates a registered ultrasound image, wherein said registered ultrasound image is disposed in the frame of reference of said previously acquired MRI image.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

blending an intensity of each corresponding voxel of said registered ultrasound image and said previously acquired MRI image to generate a blended image, wherein said blended image is displayed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selectively adjusting a blending proportion of said MRI image and said registered ultrasound image of said composite image to vary the composition of said composite image.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying said at least one ROI comprises using said composite image to identify said at least one ROI.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying said at least one ROI comprises identifying at least set one predetermined coordinates associated with at least one pre-identified ROI.