Registration system for use with position tracking and imaging system for use in medical applications

• US 5,800,352 A
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc. (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferre, Maurice R., Tieman, James S., Jakab, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CASLER, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US08/637,131
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/897, 128/898, 606/130, 318/20, 318/195, 318/205, 318/163, 600/407, 600/414, 600/426
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0818 Redundant systems, e.g. using two independent measuring systems and comparing the signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/004 : for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/14 : Transformations for image registration, e.g. adjusting or mapping for alignment of images

Abstract

A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient'"'"'s body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient'"'"'s body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field. A position detector in communication with the sensor output signal produces position data representative of the position of the remote unit with respect to the reference unit. An output display in communication with the position detector displays at least one of the prerecorded images responsive to the position data.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a location of radiopaque elements on computerized tomography medical images of a surgical patient and of locating a position of said radiopaque elements on said surgical patient, said method comprising the steps of:

placing locating strips on the skin of said patient, said locating strips each including a small generally centrally positioned mark thereon, and including fiducial markers each including a radiopaque element, wherein said markers are positioned on said strips such that said radiopaque elements cover said centrally positioned mark on said locating strips;

removing said fiducial markers after said computerized tomography images are recorded; and

identifying the position of said radiopaque elements on said patient by locating the position of said marks on said strips.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said mark includes a small opening extending through said locating strip.

3. A method of identifying a location of radiopaque elements on computerized tomography medical images of a surgical patient and of locating a position of said radiopaque elements on said surgical patient, said method comprising the steps of:

placing locating strips on the skin of said patient, said locating strips each including a small generally centrally positioned mark thereon,

placing on said locating strips, fiducial markers each including a radiopaque element, wherein said markers are positioned on said strips such that said radiopaque elements cover said centrally positioned mark on said locating strips;

removing said fiducial markers after said computerized tomography images are recorded; and

identifying the position of said radiopaque elements on said patient by locating the position of said marks on said strips.