MULTI-MODAL MEDICAL IMAGING

• US 20130172739A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Paladini, Gianluca
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4417 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• 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 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 : characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 : involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/486 : involving arbitrary m-mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5261 : combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 : Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 : using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 : Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/161 : Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00

Abstract

A nuclear probe and ultrasound transducer are interconnected, such as being in a same hand-held housing. The interconnection aligns the coordinate systems in a known spatial relationship. The ultrasound data is used to detect transducer offset or change in position without a tracking sensor. The radiation detected by the nuclear probe may be reconstructed into an image based on the detected transducer position since the nuclear probe moves with the ultrasound transducer. Both anatomical and functional imaging may be provided together without the complications of calibration and tracking. Where a therapeutic transducer is included, therapy may also be provided. The anatomical and functional information identifies the regions for treatment. The same device, already positioned correctly based on the functional and anatomical imaging, is then used for treatment with high intensity focused ultrasound.

Claims

1. A probe for multi-modal medical imaging and therapy, the probe comprising:

an ultrasound transducer comprising a plurality of elements in an array;

a nuclear detector for detecting radiation;

an interconnection between the ultrasound transducer and the nuclear detector;

a handheld housing of the ultrasound transducer, the interconnection providing common movement of the handheld housing of the ultrasound transducer and the nuclear detector during scanning by the ultrasound transducer and detection by the nuclear detector, such that movement of the handheld housing moves the nuclear detector and interconnection;

a processor configured to generate an image representing anatomy from the ultrasound transducer and representing functional information from the nuclear detector, the processor further configured for directing therapy based on a location represented by the functional information.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer and the nuclear detector being within the handheld housing, the interconnection being fixed within the handheld housing.

3. The probe of claim 2 wherein the array comprises an N×

M arrangement of elements where both N and M are greater than 1, the nuclear detector positioned within an aperture in the N×

M arrangement.

4. The probe of claim 1 wherein the interconnection comprises a releasable connection.

5. The probe of claim 1 further comprising:

a wobbler connected with the nuclear detector such that the nuclear detector tilts at different angles during detection of the radiation.

6. The probe of claim 1 further comprising:

a robot arm connected with the ultrasound transducer and nuclear detector.

7. The probe of claim 1 further comprising:

a therapy transducer, the interconnection connecting the therapy transducer with the ultrasound transducer and the nuclear probe.

8. The probe of claim 1 wherein the nuclear detector comprises a gamma detector.

9. The probe of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operable to track the movement, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the image as a function of the tracking of the movement.

10. A method for multi-modal medical imaging, the method comprising:

scanning, with a transducer, a region of a patient with ultrasound;

receiving in response to the scanning ultrasound data representing the region;

detecting radiation with a detector, the detector spatially integrated with the transducer;

moving the transducer during the scanning, the moving of the transducer also moving the detector;

determining relative motion of the transducer; and

producing a two or three-dimensional reconstruction of the radiation as a function of the relative motion.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the motion and producing the reconstruction are performed with the ultrasound data and without tracking the detector and the transducer with a sensor external to the detector and the transducer.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein determining motion comprises correlating the ultrasound data associated with scans with the transducer at different locations.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the scanning comprises scanning the region in three-dimensions, the ultrasound data representing voxels distributed in the three-dimensions, wherein detecting the radiation comprises detecting the radiation along a line extending from the detector at each of a plurality of locations of the detector, wherein producing the reconstruction comprises determining, with the ultrasound data, relative positions of the lines.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the relative motion and producing the reconstruction are performed without calibration of a position sensor.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

wobbling the detector to different tilt angles;

wherein producing comprises producing the three-dimensional reconstruction as a function of the tilt angles.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting, with the transducer, therapeutic ultrasound to locations in the reconstruction associated with the radiation.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein scanning comprises diagnostic imaging of patient anatomy, and wherein detecting comprises detecting anatomy function;

further comprising treating, with a therapy element, the anatomy with ultrasound;

wherein the diagnostic imaging, detecting anatomy function, and treating are performed with the transducer, the detector, the therapy element is in a common housing.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

registering the reconstruction with a preoperative scan of the region, the preoperative scan being a positron emission or single photon emission computed tomography scan.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

registering the detected radiation with a preoperative scan of the region, the preoperative scan being a positron emission or single photon emission computed tomography scan.

20. A system for multi-modality medical operation, the system comprising:

a housing;

an ultrasound array in a housing;

an ultrasound beamformer connectable with the ultrasound array, the ultrasound beamformer configured to scan a region of a patient with the ultrasound array and to generate therapeutic high intensity focused ultrasound with the ultrasound array;

a nuclear probe connected with or in the housing such that the nuclear probe moves with the housing and ultrasound array;

a detector connectable with the nuclear probe, the detector configured to detect radiation from the region; and

a processor configured to determine locations associated with the detected radiation within the region, and the processor configured to cause the ultrasound beamformer to focus the therapeutic high intensity focused ultrasound to the locations.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is configured to determine the locations in a reconstruction of radiation sources in the region, the locations determined with relative motion between the scan and another scan and without calibration a position sensor.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a robotic device configured to position the housing at different positions relative to the patient, the processor configured to determine the locations from scans and the detected radiation acquired at the different positions.

23. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

absolute or relative position sensor configured to determine positions of the housing during movement of the housing, the locations determined as a function of the positions.