Method and apparatus for synthetic viewpoint imaging
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Medical apparatus comprising:
- (a) a flexible nonimaging instrument having a distal end insertable into a patient'"'"'s body during an interventional procedure;
(b) image storage means for storing image information of the patient'"'"'s body obtained prior to the interventional procedure;
(c) locating means for determining the position of the distal end of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and
(d) image generation means for generating synthesized visual images during the interventional procedure from the previously-obtained image information and the determined position of the distal end corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relationship to the distal end of the instrument.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Medical apparatus for synthetic view point imaging includes an instrument insertable into the body of a patient. Using tissue image information defining an image of the patient'"'"'s body, and defining the position of the distal end of the instrument within the body, synthetic images of the patient'"'"'s body are synthesized having a viewpoint with a defined spatial relationship to the distal end of the instrument based on the image information and the determined position of the instrument.
810 Citations
50 Claims
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1. Medical apparatus comprising:
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(a) a flexible nonimaging instrument having a distal end insertable into a patient'"'"'s body during an interventional procedure; (b) image storage means for storing image information of the patient'"'"'s body obtained prior to the interventional procedure; (c) locating means for determining the position of the distal end of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and (d) image generation means for generating synthesized visual images during the interventional procedure from the previously-obtained image information and the determined position of the distal end corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relationship to the distal end of the instrument. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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14. Medical apparatus comprising:
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(a) a flexible nonimaging instrument insertable into the body of a patient during an interventional procedure; (b) image storage means for storing image information of the patient'"'"'s body obtained prior to the interventional procedure; (c) locating means for determining the position of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; (d) user input means for accepting data specifying an arbitrary location of a viewpoint relative to the instrument and data specifying a viewing direction relative to the instrument; and (e) image generation means for generating synthesized visual images during the interventional procedure from the previously-obtained image information, determined position of the instrument and said data specifying an arbitrary location and viewing direction, corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at the viewpoint and viewing direction specified by said data supplied to said input means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. Medical apparatus comprising:
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(a) a flexible nonimaging instrument insertable into the body of a patient during an interventional procedure; (b) image storage means for storing image information of the patient'"'"'s body obtained prior to the interventional procedure; (c) locating means for determining the position of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and (d) image generation means for generating synthesized visual images during the interventional procedure from the previously-acquired image information and the determined position of the instrument corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relationship to said instrument by volume visualization. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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30. A method of providing images during an interventional procedure comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a distal end of a flexible nonimaging instrument into a patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; (b) providing tissue image information defining an image of the patient'"'"'s body obtained prior to the interventional procedure; (c) determining the position of the distal end of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and (d) synthesizing visual images of the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure from the previously-acquired image information and the determined position of the distal end of the instrument corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relationship to the distal end of the instrument. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 39, 40, 47, 48, 49)
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35. A method of providing images during an interventional procedure comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a flexible nonimaging instrument into a patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; (b) providing tissue image information obtained prior to the interventional procedure defining images of the patient'"'"'s body; (c) determining the position and orientation of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedures; (d) during said interventional procedure, accepting user-supplied data defining a spatial relationship between the viewpoint and the instrument; and (e) synthesizing visual images of the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure from the previously-obtained tissue image information, the determined position and orientation of the instrument and said user-supplied data, corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at said spatial relationship to the instrument defined by said user-supplied data. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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38. A method of providing images during an interventional procedure comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a flexible nonimaging instrument into a patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; (b) providing tissue image information obtained prior to the interventional procedure defining images of the patient'"'"'s body; (c) determining the position and orientation of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and (d) synthesizing visual images of the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure from the previously-acquired tissue image information and the determined position and orientation of the instrument corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relation to the instrument by volume visualization.
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50. Medical apparatus comprising:
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(a) a flexible nonimaging instrument insertable into a patient'"'"'s body during an interventional procedure; (b) an image storage device storing image information of the patients body obtained prior to the interventional procedure; (c) a position locating system operative to determine the position of the instrument within the patient'"'"'s body during the interventional procedure; and (d) a computer including a program operative to generate synthesized visual images during the interventional procedure from the previously-obtained image information and the determined position of the instrument corresponding to images that would be seen through a virtual lens disposed at a defined spatial relationship to said instrument.
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Specification