Localization device for probe placement under CT scanner imaging
First Claim
1. A localizer for use with CT scanning comprising at least one N-type structure, said structure comprising a planar arrangement of two parallel rods and one diagonal element running non-parallel to said rods, so that a CT scan cutting said rods and said diagonal element will enable the point of CT plane intersection with the diagonal element to be determined from the positions of the image points of said rods and said diagonal element on the CT image of the CT scan plane and rom the known positions of said rods and said diagonal element in said N-type structure, and a plurality of additional rods running substantially parallel to the two parallel rods of said N-type structure when said localizer is laid flat down on a surface, said localizer being so adapted that it can be conformed closely to the skin of a patient during CT scanning so that when said localizer is laid close to the patient'"'"'s skin said rods and said diagonal element will be cut my bhe CT plane and then from the said determined intersection of said CT plane with said diagonal element and from the knowledge of the orientation of said CT plane to said localizer on the skin, one can determine the intersection point of said CT plane with any of said additional rods which in turn can be used as an entry point near the skin for passage of a probe into the patient'"'"'s body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are presented here which allow for easy quantitative determination of a position on a patient'"'"'s skin as seen in CT scanner images. It is based on a device which is a lattice of fiducial rods that can be placed on or near the patient'"'"'s skin. The images from this device then enable specific points on the skin itself to be readily identified by the operator. It requires a minimum of complication or calculation, and can be used in a variety of procedures which involve placing a probe through the patient'"'"'s skin to a target, such as a tumor, as seen on the CT scan. The localizaing ladder, as it will be called, can be quickly placed in an aligned fashion on the patient'"'"'s body, and, depending on several embodiments of the invention, coordinate points on the skin can be determined thereafter by either CT scanner software output, a simple off-line numerical calculation, or, even simpler, counting of the ladder localizer points.
228 Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A localizer for use with CT scanning comprising at least one N-type structure, said structure comprising a planar arrangement of two parallel rods and one diagonal element running non-parallel to said rods, so that a CT scan cutting said rods and said diagonal element will enable the point of CT plane intersection with the diagonal element to be determined from the positions of the image points of said rods and said diagonal element on the CT image of the CT scan plane and rom the known positions of said rods and said diagonal element in said N-type structure, and a plurality of additional rods running substantially parallel to the two parallel rods of said N-type structure when said localizer is laid flat down on a surface, said localizer being so adapted that it can be conformed closely to the skin of a patient during CT scanning so that when said localizer is laid close to the patient'"'"'s skin said rods and said diagonal element will be cut my bhe CT plane and then from the said determined intersection of said CT plane with said diagonal element and from the knowledge of the orientation of said CT plane to said localizer on the skin, one can determine the intersection point of said CT plane with any of said additional rods which in turn can be used as an entry point near the skin for passage of a probe into the patient'"'"'s body.
- 8. A skin localizer for use with CT scanning comprising at least one triangular structure said structure comprising a planar arrangement of a first rod and one diagonal element running non parallel to said first rod, so that a CT scann cutting said first rod and diagonal element will enable the point of CT plane intersection with said first rod to be determined from the known positions of said first rod and diagonal element within said triangular structure and from knowledge of the orientation of said triangular structure with respect to the CT scanning plane, and a plurality of additional rods running substantially parallel to said first rod when said localizer is laid flat down on a surface, said localizer being so adapted that it can be conformed closely to the skin of a patient during CT scanning, and whereby when said localizer is laid close to the patient'"'"'s skin so that said first rod, said diagonal element, and said additional rods are cut by the CT plane, then from the said determined intersection of said CT plane with said first rod and from the knowledge of the orientation of said CT plane to said localizer on the skin, one can determine the intersection point of said CT plane with any of said additional rods which in turn can be used as an entry point near the skin for passage of a probe into the patient'"'"'s body.
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13. A skin localizing device comprising a multiplicity of at least three substantially parallel elongated rod elements and a diagonal element that is non parallel to said rod elements and is so positioned relative to said rod elements that said diagonal element comes in close proximity to each of said rods, said skin localizing device being so constructed that it can be laid on and conform to the patient'"'"'s skin so that said rod elements will lie in close proximity to the patient'"'"'s skin, whereby when a CT scan cuts said rod and diagonal elements, then the image of said diagonal element on said CT scan image will be in proximity to the image of a particular rod element among said rod elements so that the physical point of intersection of said CT scan plane with said diagonal element can be determined by the physical intersection of said particular rod element with said diagonal element and where by knowing the orientation of said CT scan plane relative to the patient'"'"'s body, one can determine the intersection of said CT scan plane with any of the other rod elements which thereby provide a multiplicity of points in proximity to the patient'"'"'s skin that can be used as entry points for passage of a probe into the patient'"'"'s body.
- 14. A skin localizer for use with CT scanning comprising at least one triangular structure said structure comprising a planar arrangement of a first side element and a second side element running non parallel to said first side element so that a CT scan cutting said first side element and said second side element will enable the position of CT plane intersection with said triangular structure to be determined from the known positions of said first side element and side second side element within said triangular structure and from knowledge of the orientation of said triangular structure with respect to the CT scanning plane, and a plurality of additional side elements running substantiallly parallel to each other when said localizer is laid flat down on a surface, said localizer being so adapted that it can be conformed closely to the skin of a patient during CT scanning, and whereby when said localizer is laid close to the patient'"'"'s skin so that said first side element, said second element and said additional side elements are cut by the CT plane, then from the said determined intersection of said CT plane with said triangular structure and from the knowledge of the orientation of said CT plane to said localizer on the skin, one can determine the intersection point of said CT plane with any of said additional side elements which in turn can be used as an entry point near the skin for passage of a probe into the patient'"'"'s body.
Specification