SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING AND TRACKING OF OBJECTS AND CO-REGISTRATION

• US 20160196666A1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Angiometrix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Angiometrix Corporation
• Inventors: VENKATRAGHAVAN, Vikram, SUBRAMANIYAN, Raghavan, DUTTA, Goutam
• Application Number:
  US14/823,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/487 involving fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5264 due to motion
• 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 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/04 X-ray contrast preparations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10064 : Fluorescence image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10101 : Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 : Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 : Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20224 : Image subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 : Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30061 : Lung
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 : Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 : Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/248 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 : involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods

Abstract

Systems for detecting and tracking of objects and co-registration are described which utilizes methods to create a linearized view of a lumen using multiple imaged frames. In reality a lumen has a trajectory in 3-D, but only a 2-D projected view is available for viewing. The linearized view unravels this 3-D trajectory thus creating a linearized map for every point on the lumen trajectory as seen on the 2-D display. In one mode of the invention, the trajectory is represented as a linearized display along 1 dimension. This linearized view is also combined with lumen measurement data and the result is displayed concurrently on a single image. In another mode of the invention, the position of a treatment device is displayed on the linearized map in real time. In a further extension of this mode, the profile of the lumen dimension is also displayed on this linearized map.

Claims

1. A method of compensating for motion of a body lumen during co-registration, comprising:

positioning an elongate instrument having one or more markers within the body lumen to be mapped;

imaging the elongate instrument and the one or more markers along the elongate instrument within the body lumen;

tracking the one or more markers across multiple imaged frames;

referencing the one or more markers across the multiple imaged frames relative to at least one reference point separate from the elongate instrument;

matching predetermined reference points along the elongate instrument between the multiple imaged frames;

compensating for motion of the one or more markers based on the reference points along the elongate instrument which are matched between the multiple imaged frames; and

determining corresponding locations of the one or more markers on a reference image frame.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a linear map of the body lumen from the multiple imaged frames.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein referencing comprises referencing the one or more markers relative to at least one anatomical reference point.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein referencing comprises identifying at least one branching point or lumen profile.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein identifying comprises identifying the at least one branching point or lumen profile across the multiple imaged frames.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein referencing comprises referencing the one or more markers relative to at least one geometrical landmark.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein referencing comprises referencing the one or more markers relative to at least one reference point separate from the elongate instrument and positioned upon a patient.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining corresponding locations uses a priori knowledge of a movement pattern of the elongate instrument.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the elongate instrument comprises a guidewire or catheter.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking comprises tracking the one or more markers across multiple imaged frames which correspond to neighboring phases of a heart cycle.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking comprises tracking the one or more markers across multiple imaged frames which correspond to movement resulting from breathing.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the motion of the body lumen is associated with movements from a beating heart or breathing of a patient.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the motion of the body lumen is associated with movements of a patient, motion of a platform upon which the patient is positioned, or motion of a C-arm relative to the patient.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein determining further comprises selecting past frames and/or future frames to refine the corresponding locations on the reference image frame.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising compensating for motion artifacts by compensating for motion between a current fluoroscopic image to be co-registered and an angiographic image corresponding to a same phase of a heart cycle as the fluoroscopic image, and

compensating for motion between the angiographic image of the same phase and a reference angiographic image.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising enhancing an image for each pixel of the elongate instrument in the multiple imaged frames after imaging the elongate instrument and the one or more markers.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more markers comprise a subset of the region of interest in any single frame.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more markers comprise electrodes, radio-opaque markers, or one or more stents.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of markers are spaced apart from one another at known distances.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising injecting a dye into the body lumen during imaging.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the body lumen comprises a blood vessel.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein tracking the one or more markers further comprises detecting and tracking the elongate instrument across the multiple imaged frames.

22. A method for determining the translation of an elongate instrument from multiple two-dimensional images of a moving body lumen, comprising:

positioning an elongate instrument having one or more markers within the body lumen to be mapped;

imaging the elongate instrument and the one or more markers along the elongate instrument within the body lumen;

tracking the one or more markers across multiple imaged frames;

matching predetermined reference points along the elongate instrument between the multiple imaged frames;

compensating for motion of the one or more markers based on the reference points along the elongate instrument which are matched between the multiple imaged frames, where the motion results from the effect of movement of the body lumen on the elongate instrument; and

,

determining corresponding locations of the one or more markers on a reference image frame.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the movement of the body lumen is associated with movements from a beating heart or breathing of a patient.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the movement of the body lumen is associated with movements of a patient, motion of a platform upon which the patient is positioned, or motion of a C-arm relative to the patient.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein determining comprises superimposing a translation of the elongate instrument and one or more markers upon a stationary image of the body lumen.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising creating a linear map of the body lumen from the multiple imaged frames.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising enhancing an image of the elongate instrument in the multiple imaged frames after imaging the elongate instrument and the one or more markers.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein imaging the elongate instrument comprises moving the elongate instrument through the body lumen while imaging.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein the elongate instrument comprises a guidewire or catheter.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of markers comprise electrodes, radio-opaque markers, or one or more stents.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising co-registering one or more locations along the linear map with one or more corresponding landmarks.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein the body lumen comprises a blood vessel.

34. A method of selecting a vessel of interest, comprising:

positioning an elongate instrument within a vessel of interest;

tracking a position of at least a subset of the elongate instrument;

injecting a dye within the vessel of interest;

selecting at least one angiographic image;

processing the at least one reference angiographic image to segment a network of branches illuminated by the dye;

matching the tracked position of the at least a subset of the elongate instrument to the at least one processed angiographic image; and

selecting a vessel corresponding to the best matched segmented part of the network of branches.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein selecting comprises automatically selecting the at least one angiographic image.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein selecting comprises manually selecting the at least one angiographic image.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the elongate instrument comprises a guidewire, catheter or at least one stent.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein matching comprises selecting a vessel branch which closely represents a shape and/or profile of the elongate instrument.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the vessel of interest comprises a blood vessel.

40. A method of selecting a reference angiogram, comprising:

injecting a dye into a network of vessels while imaging the network of vessels over multiple image frames;

measuring at least one of;

a degree of contrast present in each of the image frames;

an extent of a vessel path highlighted in each of the image frames;

a length of each branch highlighted in the network of vessels in each of the image frames; and

determining an optimal image frame based on the at least one of degree of contrast, extent of the vessel path, and length of each branch.

41. A method of estimating a translation or zoom factor of an image, comprising:

recording multiple image frames of a vessel of interest of a patient;

analyzing a previous image frame with respect to a current frame;

calculating a metric value between pixels of each image frame; and

selecting an image frame having a minimum metric value,

wherein the translation or zoom is caused by at least one of a heartbeat of the patient, breathing of the patient, change in camera position relative to the patient, movement of a table upon which the patient is positioned, or movement of the patient.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein calculating a metric value comprises calculating a sum of squared differences or a sum of absolute differences between the pixels of each image frame.

43. The method of claim 41 further comprising differentiating between a rotation and a translation or zoom factor.