SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AN INVASIVE DEVICE USING ULTRASOUND POSITION SIGNALS

• US 20150182187A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Samset, Eigil, Haugen, Geir Ultveit
• Granted Patent: US 10,507,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2063 Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3929 Active markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• 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 8/0841 for locating instruments
• 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 8/4227 characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• 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 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5261 combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray

Abstract

A system and method for tracking an invasive device includes a localization system configured to be externally attached to a patient. The localization system includes a transducer module including a plurality of transducer elements. The system and method includes an invasive device including at least one device transducer element. The invasive device is configured to either transmit ultrasound position signals to the transducer module or receive ultrasound position signals from the transducer module.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a position of an invasive device, the system comprising:

a localization system comprising;

a substrate configured to be externally attached to a patient;

an ultrasound transducer module attached to the substrate, wherein the ultrasound transducer module is configured to either transmit or receive ultrasound position signals; and

a connector device electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer module;

wherein the invasive device comprises at least one device transducer element, and wherein the invasive device is configured to either transmit the ultrasound position signals to the ultrasound transducer module or receive the ultrasound position signals from the ultrasound transducer module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible substrate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the localization system comprises a fiducial marker attached to the substrate, wherein the fiducial marker is configured to be detectable by a non-ultrasound imaging modality.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer module comprises a transducer element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer module comprises at least three transducer elements.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector device comprises a wired connection electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector device comprises a wireless communication module electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the localization system comprises a band configured to be disposed on the patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the localization system comprises a vest configured to be worn by the patient.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the localization system comprises one or more skin patches configured to be attached to the patient.

11. A system for tracking a position of an invasive device in a patient, the system comprising:

a localization system comprising;

a substrate configured to be externally attached to the patient;

an ultrasound transducer module attached to the substrate, wherein the ultrasound transducer module is configured to either transmit or receive ultrasound position signals; and

a connector device electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer module;

wherein the invasive device comprises at least one device transducer element; and

a processing unit in electronic communication with the ultrasound transducer module and the at least one device transducer element, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

receive a non-ultrasound image of the patient, wherein the non-ultrasound image represents at least a portion of the localization system;

identify a position of the ultrasound transducer module in the non-ultrasound image;

determine a position of the invasive device with respect to the non-ultrasound image based on the ultrasound position signals communicated between the ultrasound transducer module and the at least one device transducer element; and

display, on the display device, a representation of the invasive device on the non-ultrasound image based on the determined position of the invasive device with respect to the non-ultrasound image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the localization system comprises a plurality of fiducial markers, and wherein the processing unit identifies the position of the ultrasound transducer module with respect to the non-ultrasound image based on the fiducial markers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the invasive device comprises an ultrasound probe.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound probe is selected from the group consisting of a transesophageal probe, a vaginal probe, a transrectal probe, a laprascopic probe, and an intracardiac probe.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to control the probe to acquire an ultrasound image with the ultrasound probe, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to register the ultrasound image to the non-ultrasound image based on the location of the at least one skin patch in both the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to update a position of the representation of the invasive device on the non-ultrasound image in real-time.

17. A method of tracking a position of an invasive device with respect to a non-ultrasound image, the method comprising:

attaching a plurality of transducer elements to the outside of a patient;

acquiring non-ultrasound data of the patient, wherein the non-ultrasound data includes the plurality of transducer elements;

positioning an invasive device inside the patient, wherein the invasive device includes a device transducer element;

generating an image based on the non-ultrasound data;

identifying a plurality of locations representing the plurality of transducer elements in the non-ultrasound image;

determining a position of the invasive device with respect to the non-ultrasound image based on ultrasound position signals communicated between the device transducer element and the plurality of transducer elements and based on the identified locations representing the plurality of transducer elements in the non-ultrasound image; and

displaying a representation of the invasive device on the non-ultrasound image based on the determined position of the invasive device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting a position of the representation of the invasive device on the non-ultrasound image in real-time as the invasive device is moved.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the invasive device comprises an ultrasound probe and wherein the method further comprises acquiring ultrasound data of the patient with the ultrasound probe.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising registering the ultrasound image to the non-ultrasound image based on the ultrasound position signals, and displaying the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image at the same time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said displaying the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image at the same time comprises displaying the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image as a fused image.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said displaying the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image at the same time comprises displaying the ultrasound image and the non-ultrasound image as a side-by-side image.