ALIGNMENT CT

• US 20160000303A1
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Klein, Eyal, Canetti, Lior, Andel, Alex, Greenburg, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 10,159,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another 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 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/466 adapted to display 3D data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/488 involving pre-scan acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5223 generating planar views from image data, e.g. extracting a coronal view from a 3D image

Abstract

Methods and systems for navigating to a target through a patient'"'"'s bronchial tree are disclosed including a bronchoscope, a probe insertable into a working channel of the bronchoscope including a location sensor, and a workstation in operative communication with the probe and the bronchoscope the workstation including a user interface that guides a user through a navigation plan and is configured to present a three-dimensional (3D) view for displaying a 3D rendering of the patient'"'"'s airways and a corresponding navigation plan, a local view for assisting the user in navigating the probe through peripheral airways of the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree to the target, and a target alignment view for assisting the user in aligning a distal tip of the probe with the target.

Claims

1. A system for navigating to a target through a patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the system comprising:

a bronchoscope configured for insertion into the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the bronchoscope defining a working channel;

a probe insertable into the working channel of the bronchoscope and configured to navigate through the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the probe including a location sensor; and

a workstation in operative communication with the probe and the bronchoscope, the workstation including a memory and at least one processor, the memory storing a navigation plan and a program that, when executed by the processor, presents a user interface that guides a user through the navigation plan, the user interface configured to present;

a three-dimensional (3D) view for displaying a 3D rendering of the patient'"'"'s airways and a corresponding navigation plan;

a local view for assisting the user in navigating the probe through peripheral airways of the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree to the target; and

a target alignment view for assisting the user in aligning a distal tip of the probe with the target.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes a maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm for a range from a distal tip of the location sensor.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the range is predetermined.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the range is dynamically calculated based on a location of the target.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the MIP algorithm causes the target to be displayed in a maximal surface size in the target alignment view.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the MIP algorithm highlights the target and filters out densities of other tissue near the target.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the target alignment view presents a marking overlaid on the target.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the target alignment view presents a crosshair to assist alignment to a center of the target.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the target alignment view presents a distance from a tip of the location sensor to the target.

10. A system for navigating to a target through a patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the system comprising:

a bronchoscope configured for insertion into the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the bronchoscope defining a working channel;

a probe insertable into the working channel of the bronchoscope and configured to navigate through the patient'"'"'s bronchial tree, the probe including a location sensor; and

a workstation in operative communication with the probe and the bronchoscope, the workstation including a memory and at least one processor, the memory storing a navigation plan and a program that, when executed by the processor, presents a user interface that guides a user through the navigation plan, the user interface configured to present a target alignment view for assisting the user in aligning a distal tip of the probe with the target,

wherein the processor executes a maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm for a limited range from a distal tip of the location sensor.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the limited range is predetermined.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the limited range is dynamically calculated based on a location of the target.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the MIP algorithm causes the target to be displayed in a maximal surface size in the target alignment view.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the MIP algorithm highlights the target and filters out densities of other tissue near the target.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the target alignment view presents a marking overlaid on the target.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the target alignment view presents a crosshair to assist alignment to a center of the target.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the target alignment view presents a distance from a tip of the location sensor to the target.