IMAGE DATA PROCESSING DEVICE AND TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION APPARATUS

• US 20130345491A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A School Corporation Kansai University, Osaka University
• Original Assignee: A School Corporation Kansai University, Osaka University
• Inventors: Saitoh, Youichi, Uchida, Kuniyoshi, Hosomi, Koichi, Yasumuro, Yoshihiro, Ogino, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,993,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/00 Magnetotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30016 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/251 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/344 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images

Abstract

The present invention provides an image data processing device that is beneficial in order to reduce the patient'"'"'s strain and botheration for the practitioner when performing the transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, and a transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus utilizing the image data processing device. The image data processing device is provided with: a storage means configured to store a three-dimensional MRI image of a subject'"'"'s head that has been previously taken; a three-dimensional appearance image generation means configured to generate a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head; an image generation means configured to perform positional alignment between the three-dimensional MRI image and the three-dimensional appearance image, and to generate a three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the positional alignment; an after-movement image generation means configured to generate, when the subject'"'"'s head has been moved, a three-dimensional subject'"'"'s head image after the movement and the positional alignment; an operational object image generation means configured to generate an operational object image indicating a current position of an operational object operated and moved so as to maintain a positional relation with a specific portion on the three-dimensional MRI image of the subject'"'"'s head; and a display means configured to display the three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement and the operational object image in one image.

Claims

1. An image data processing device comprising:

a storage means configured to store a three-dimensional MRI image of a subject'"'"'s head that has been previously taken;

a three-dimensional appearance image generation means configured to generate a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head;

an image generation means configured to perform positional alignment between the three-dimensional MRI image and the three-dimensional appearance image, and to generate a three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the positional alignment;

an after-movement image generation means configured to generate, when the subject'"'"'s head has been moved, a three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement and the positional alignment;

an operational object image generation means configured to generate an image of an operational object indicating a current position of the operational object operated and moved so as to maintain a positional relation with a specific portion on the three-dimensional MRI image of the subject'"'"'s head; and

a display means configured to display the three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement and the image of the operational object in one image.

7. The image data processing device according to one of claims 1, 2 and 5, wherein

the three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head is generated using parallax between images taken from a plurality of viewpoints.

8. The image data processing device according to one of claims 1, 2 and 5, wherein

the three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head is generated using a time by which one of light and an ultrasonic wave arrives from one viewpoint.

9. The image data processing device according to one of claims 1, 2 and 5, wherein

a position and a posture of an imaging means of the three-dimensional appearance image generation means is fixed with respect to the operational object, the imaging means being configured to take an image of the subject'"'"'s head.

2. An image data processing device for performing positional alignment between a first image and a second image, the first image being a three-dimensional MRI image of a subject'"'"'s head, and the second image being a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head, the device comprising:

a selection means configured to select points m_i satisfying a predetermined condition from a plurality of points b_j included in the second image, the points m_i being selected respectively for N points a_i included in the first image;

a parameter determining means configured to determine, at each of the points m_i selected by the selection means, a rotation matrix R and a parallel translation vector t as parameters for performing rigid-body transformation such that a value of an error function E(R, t) is minimized, the rigid-body transformation converting the points included in the first image into the corresponding points included in the second image, the error function E(R, t) being configured by a predetermined calculation procedure using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t; and

a data processing means configured to perform the rigid-body transformation to each of the points a, using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t until the value of the error function E(R, t) becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and to cause the selection means to select the points m_i respectively, for the points a_i after the conversion, and the parameter determining means to determine the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t.

3. The image data processing device according to claim 2, wherein

the selection means selects the points m_i having a smallest Euclidean distance from the plurality of points b_j, the points m_i being selected respectively for the N points a_i.

4. The image data processing device according to claim 2, wherein

the error function E(R, t) satisfies (Expression 1).

5. An image data processing device for tracking a position and an orientation of a subject'"'"'s head, the device comprising:

an image generation means configured to generate a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head;

an extraction and storage means configured to extract at least one characteristic region from the three-dimensional appearance image to store as a three-dimensional template image;

an after-movement image generation means configured to generate, when the subject'"'"'s head has been moved, a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement;

a characteristic region determination means configured to move the template image over the three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement, and to determine a position at which correlation between the both image data is maximized as a position of the characteristic region after the movement; and

a parameter determining means configured to determine a rotation matrix R and a parallel translation vector t as parameters for performing rigid-body transformation such that a value of an error function E(R, t) is minimized, the rigid-body transformation converting points included in the characteristic region before the movement into the corresponding points included in the characteristic region after the movement, the error function E(R, t) being configured by a predetermined calculation procedure using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t.

6. The image data processing device according to claim 5, wherein

the error function E(R, t) satisfies (Expression 2),

10. A transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus for applying magnetic stimulation to a specific portion within a subject'"'"'s head using a magnetic-field generation means disposed outside the head, the apparatus comprising:

the magnetic-field generation means configured to be able to change a position and a posture thereof according to an operation;

a storage means configured to store a three-dimensional MRI image of a subject'"'"'s head that has been previously taken;

a three-dimensional appearance image generation means configured to generate a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head;

an image generation means configured to perform positional alignment between the three-dimensional MRI image and the three-dimensional appearance image, and to generate a three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the positional alignment;

an after-movement image generation means configured to generate, when the subject'"'"'s head has been moved, a three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement and the positional alignment;

a magnetic-field generation means image generation means configured to generate an image of the magnetic-field generation means that indicates a current position of the magnetic-field generation means operated so as to maintain a positional relation with a specific portion on the three-dimensional MRI image of the subject'"'"'s head; and

a display means configured to display the three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement and the image of the magnetic-field generation means in one image.

16. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to one of claims 10, 11 and 14, wherein

the three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head is configured to be generated as a three-dimensional image using parallax between images taken from a plurality of viewpoints.

17. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to one of claims 10, 11 and 14, wherein

the three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head is generated using a time by which one of light and an ultrasonic wave arrives from one viewpoint.

18. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to one of claims 10, 11 and 14, wherein

a position and a posture of an imaging means of the three-dimensional appearance image generation means is fixed with respect to the operational object, the imaging means being configured to take an image of the subject'"'"'s head.

11. A transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus for applying magnetic stimulation to a specific portion within a subject'"'"'s head using a magnetic-field generation means disposed outside the head, the apparatus comprising:

an image data processing device for performing positional alignment between a first image and a second image, the first image being a three-dimensional MRI image of a subject'"'"'s head, and the second image being a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head, wherein

the image data processing device includes;

a parameter determining means configured to determine, at each of the points m_i selected by the selection means, a rotation matrix R and a parallel translation vector t as parameters for performing rigid-body transformation such that a value of an error function E(R, t) is minimized, the rigid-body transformation converting the points included in the first image into the corresponding points included in the second image, the error function E(R, t) being configured by a predetermined calculation procedure using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t; and

a data processing means configured to perform the rigid-body transformation to each of the points a_i using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t until the value of the error function E(R, t) becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and to cause the selection means to select the points m_i respectively, for the points a_i after the conversion, and the parameter determining means to determine the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t.

12. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the selection means selects the points m_i having a smallest Euclidean distance from the plurality of points b_j, the points m_i being selected respectively for the N points a_i.

13. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the error function E(R, t) satisfies (Expression 3).

14. A transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus for applying magnetic stimulation to a specific portion within a subject'"'"'s head using a magnetic-field generation means disposed outside the head, the apparatus comprising:

an image data processing device for tracking a position and an orientation of a subject'"'"'s head, wherein

the image data processing device includes;

an image generation means configured to generate a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head;

an extraction and storage means configured to extract at least one characteristic region from the three-dimensional appearance image to store as a three-dimensional template image;

an after-movement image generation means configured to generate, when the subject'"'"'s head has been moved, a three-dimensional appearance image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement;

a characteristic region determination means configured to move the template image over the three-dimensional image of the subject'"'"'s head after the movement, and to determine a position at which correlation between the both image data is maximized as a position of the characteristic region after the movement; and

a parameter determining means configured to determine a rotation matrix R and a parallel translation vector t as parameters for performing rigid-body transformation such that a value of an error function E(R, t) is minimized, the rigid-body transformation converting points included in the characteristic region before the movement into the corresponding points included in the characteristic region after the movement, the error function E(R, t) being configured by a predetermined calculation procedure using the rotation matrix R and the parallel translation vector t.

15. The transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the error function E(R, t) satisfies (Expression 4)