Magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus for guiding invasive therapy
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for guiding invasive therapy in a patient comprising:
- positioning at least a region of patient anatomy containing a tissue upon which said therapy is to be performed within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus;
introducing an instrument into said patient and guiding said instrument to said tissue by reference to at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument within said region of patient anatomy acquired during the course of said guiding and to a previously prepared representation of the path to be followed by said instrument during the course of said guiding; and
carrying out said therapy on said tissue by positioning said instrument to perform said therapy.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Patient treatment is carried out under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. The treated region of anatomy may be a joint, an organ or other tissue, or a tumor. Instruments which can be guided by MRI allow the treated region of anatomy to be reached along a selected path, curved or straight, to reduce issue injury. The delivery of treatments under MRI guidance and monitoring provides a method of identifying a preferred treatment regimen.
-
Citations
54 Claims
-
1. A method for guiding invasive therapy in a patient comprising:
-
positioning at least a region of patient anatomy containing a tissue upon which said therapy is to be performed within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus; introducing an instrument into said patient and guiding said instrument to said tissue by reference to at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument within said region of patient anatomy acquired during the course of said guiding and to a previously prepared representation of the path to be followed by said instrument during the course of said guiding; and carrying out said therapy on said tissue by positioning said instrument to perform said therapy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of treating a tumor of a patient in vive by a catheter, comprising:
-
positioning a region of patient anatomy containing said tumor within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus; displaying a previously prepared representation of a path to be followed by said catheter through said patient to said tumor; guiding said catheter through said patient to said tumor; acquiring and displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of said catheter as it is being guided through said patient; comparing said at least one magnetic resonance image of said catheter to said previously prepared representation of the path; correcting for deviations in the position of said catheter from the previously prepared representation based on said comparison; and delivering a therapeutic chemical to said tumor with said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method for surgically treating a joint of a patient, comprising:
-
positioning at least a region of joint anatomy of said patient which is to undergo surgical treatment within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, said joint of said patient being in position for said surgical treatment; introducing an instrument into said patient; displaying a pre-surgically prepared representation of the course of said instrument to said region of joint anatomy; acquiring and displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument as it is being guided to said region of joint anatomy; guiding the course of said instrument to said region of joint anatomy which is to undergo surgical treatment by comparing said at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument to said representation of the course and correcting the position of said instrument for deviations from the previously prepared representation based on said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method for surgically treating the spine of a patient, comprising:
-
positioning said patient in a prone position, a region of spinal anatomy of said patient which is to undergo surgical treatment being positioned within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus while the spine of said patient is in said prone position; introducing an instrument into said patient; displaying a pre-surgically prepared representation of the course of said instrument to said region of spinal anatomy; acquiring and displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument as it is being guided to said region of spinal anatomy; guiding the course of said instrument to said region of spinal anatomy which is to undergo surgical treatment by comparing said at least one magnetic resonance image of said instrument to said representation of the course and correcting the position of said instrument for deviations from the pre-surgically prepared representation based on said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. An apparatus for carrying out surgery, comprising:
-
a magnetic resonance imaging system, including a magnet having a patient-receiving volume to receive a patient upon whom said surgery is to be performed; display means for displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of an anatomical region of said patient within said patient-receiving volume and upon which said surgery is to be performed; means for performing said surgery upon said patient within said anatomical region of said patient, said display means displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of said means for performing said surgery within said anatomical region of said patient, said at least one magnetic resonance image being acquired during the course of said surgery, and said display means further comprising means for receiving a previously prepared representation of the path to be followed by said means for performing said surgery in said anatomical region of said patient and displaying said previously prepared representation, said means for performing said surgery being remotely operable; and operating means for operating said means for performing said surgery from an operating position exterior to said patient by reference to said at least one magnetic resonance image and said previously prepared representation. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A method for guiding invasive therapy, comprising:
-
positioning a region of patient anatomy containing a tissue upon which said therapy is to be performed within a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus; introducing an instrument into said patient and guiding said instrument to said tissue by reference to at least one three-dimensional magnetic resonance image of said instrument within said region of patient anatomy acquired during the course of said guiding and a previously prepared three-dimensional representation of the path of said instrument; and carrying out said therapy on said tissue by positioning said instrument to perform said therapy. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
-
-
52. An apparatus for carrying out surgery, comprising:
-
a magnetic resonance imaging system, including a magnet having a patient-receiving volume to receive a patient upon whom said surgery is to be performed; display means for displaying at least one magnetic resonance image of an anatomical region of said patient within said patient-receiving volume and upon which said surgery is to be performed; means for performing said surgery upon said patient within said patient-receiving volume by reference to at least one magnetic resonance image of said anatomical region acquired during the course of said surgery, said means for performing said surgery being remotely operable and comprising at least a probe portion which can be detected on said magnetic resonance image; and operating means for operating said means for performing said surgery from an operating position exterior to said patient, said display means including means for receiving and displaying a pre-surgically prepared representation of the path to be followed by said means for performing surgery, said operating means receiving said path representation for controlling the path of said means for performing said surgery to coincide with said path representation, and said at least one magnetic resonance image of said anatomical region including paid probe portion obtained during the course of advancement of said means for performing surgery being compared to said pre-surgically prepared path representation and the actual course of said means for performing surgery being corrected during the course of said surgery for conformity to said pre-surgically prepared path representation.
-
-
53. An apparatus for carrying out surgery, comprising:
-
a magnetic resonance imaging system, including a magnet having a patient-receiving volume to receive a patient upon whom said surgery is to be performed; display means comprising a plurality of screens each for displaying an image along a different orientation of said region of patient anatomy upon which said surgery is to be performed; means for performing said surgery upon said patient within said patient-receiving volume by reference to at least one magnetic resonance image of said anatomical region acquired during the course of said surgery, said means for performing said surgery being remotely operable and comprising at least a probe portion which can be detected on said magnetic resonance image; operating means for operating said means for performing said surgery from an operating position exterior to said patient, said display means including means for receiving and displaying a representation of the path to be followed by said means for performing surgery on at least one of said display screens during the advancement of paid probe portion, said operating means receiving said path representation for controlling the path of said means for performing said surgery to coincide with said path representation and superimposing at least one magnetic resonance image of the actual path taken by said probe portion during the advancement of said probe portion in the course of said surgery on an image of said path representation on at least one of said display screens. - View Dependent Claims (54)
-
Specification