Optical and computer graphic stereotactic localizer

• US 6,167,295 A
• Filed: 01/03/1996
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integra Burlington MA, Inc. (Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Radionics, Inc. (Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Cosman, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US08/590,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/664, 128/665, 128/897, 128/920, 364/413.01, 364/413.13, 364/413.22, 606/130, 600/407, 600/410, 600/473, 600/476, 600/426, 600/414, 378/4, 378/205, 378/206
• US Class Current: 600/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

This patent relates to an apparatus involving optical cameras, one or more, and computer graphic means for registering anatomical subjects seen in the cameras to computer graphic image displays of image data taken from CT, MRI or other scanning image means. One or more cameras may be set up to view the anatomical subject. The anatomical subject has been scanned previously by an imaging machine such as a CT scanner and the data has been stored in a computer with computergraphic readout. The computer has software which enables rotation translation and scaling of the anatomical subject seen in the image data. By registering the field of view of the camera or cameras with the corresponding graphic view of the image data, a registration of the optical view with the scanner image view can be made. In this way, points identifiable in the camera view can be located in the image data view and vice versa. In addition, if two views of the anatomical subject are taken, unique 3-dimensional coordinates of corresponding points between the camera to the image reconstructions can be determined. For instance, a space probe or microscope or surgical instrument can be quantitatively referenced to the anatomy with the scene of the camera field-of-view by reference to the identical scanner view. Thus, the position of the probe or its directional view toward the subject relative to internal anatomical structures can be determined. Index marks on the subject as seen in the camera and image may also be an adjunct to this technique.

Claims

1. Apparatus for relating a representation of a patient anatomy generated from a plurality of scanner image data to at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient anatomy, said apparatus including:

at least one camera for registering an image of said patient anatomy and at least one one surgical instrument located in relation to said patient anatomy, said camera providing an electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration including location of said at least one surgical instrument in relation to said patient anatomy; and

,

a computer with a graphics display for receiving, processing and displaying said scanner image data and said electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration, said computer having software for registering and establishing a correspondence between said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data based on information related to index points that are determinable in both said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data, whereby said information relating to said at least one surgical instrument in said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration can be directly related to said patient anatomy; and

fiducial markers for connection to said patient anatomy and determinable in both the scanner image data and the at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration to facilitate registering the at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and the scanner image data on the graphics display of said computer.

2. Apparatus for relating a representation of a patient anatomy generated from a plurality of scanner image data to at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient anatomy, said apparatus including:

at least one camera for registering an image of said patient anatomy and at least one surgical instrument located in relation to said patient anatomy, said camera providing an electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration including location of said at least one surgical instrument in relation to said patient anatomy; and

,

a computer with a graphics display for receiving, processing and displaying said scanner image data and said electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration, said computer having software for registering and establishing a correspondence between said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data based on information related to index points that are determinable in both said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data, whereby said information relating to said surgical instruments in said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration can be directly related to said patient anatomy; and

said computer includes hardware and related software to rotate, translate, and scale said scanner image data to match said camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration as displayed on the graphics display of said computer.

3. Apparatus for relating a representation of a patient anatomy generated from a plurality of scanner image data to at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient anatomy including:

at least one camera for registering images of said patient anatomy and at least one surgical instrument located in relation to said patient anatomy, said at least one camera providing an electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration;

a computer with a graphic display for displaying said scanner image data and said electronic readout, said computer having software for registering said electronic readout of said at least one camera and said scanner image data so that both said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data are visually displayed on said graphic display facilitating said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration to be directly related to said scanner image data and said at least one surgical instruments in said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration to be visually and quantitatively related to said patient anatomy either both on the surface of the patient anatomy or in depth in the patient anatomy as seen from said scanner image data on said graphic display; and

fiducial markers for placement on said patient anatomy and determinable in both the scanner image data and said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration to facilitate said registration of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data on said graphic display.

4. Apparatus for quantitative registration of a patient anatomy with a computer graphic representation generated from a plurality of image data of said patient anatomy taken from an imaging machine and for registration of said image data to a surgical apparatus located near said patient anatomy, including:

at least one optical camera with quantitative electronic readout of a field-of-image registration thereof, said at least one optical camera being positioned with respect to said patient anatomy to provide said field-of-image registration including said patient anatomy;

a computer graphics display for displaying said image data of said patient anatomy and said electronic readout of said at least one optical camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient anatomy; and

,

a registration device coupled with said at least one optical camera for aligning said image data and said electronic readout of said at least one optical camera and for providing a visual representation thereof on said computer graphics display means whereby an operator can visually and quantitatively observe the spatial relationship of said field-of-image registration of said at least one optical camera to said image data of said patient anatomy and simultaneously the spatial relationship of said surgical apparatus to said patient anatomy; and

detachable markers for placement on said patient anatomy that are determinable in both said image data and said electronic readout of said field-of-image registration of said at least one optical camera so that when said markers as determined both in said image data and said electronic readout are brought into quantitative correspondence in said computer graphics display, registration of the image data with said electronic readout occurs.

5. A method for determining quantitatively the position of a surgical apparatus relative to a patient'"'"'s anatomy in a surgical setting, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least one optical camera with electronic readout means relative to said patient'"'"'s anatomy, said at least one optical camera providing a field-of-image registration of said patient'"'"'s anatomy and said surgical apparatus;

placing detectable instrument markers at known positions on said surgical apparatus which are determinable by said at least one optical camera;

attaching body markers to said patient anatomy which can be determined by said at least one optical camera, said body markers having a known relationship to said patient anatomy from image data taken from at least one imaging device;

registering images of said patient anatomy, said instrument markers, and said body markers with said at least one optical camera, and using a computer to register the image data with said electronic readout data from said field-of-image registration of said at least one optical camera by registering the positions of said body markers in said image data and said electronic readout data; and

determining the position of said instrument markers and thus said surgical apparatus relative to said patient anatomy by using said computer and by using the relation of said body markers and said instrument markers as determined from said electronic readout of said field-of-image registration.

6. Apparatus for relating a representation of a patient anatomy generated from a plurality of scanner image data to at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient anatomy, including:

at least one camera for registering images of said patient anatomy and at least one surgical instrument used for said patient anatomy, said camera having an electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration;

fiducial markers for placement on said patient anatomy and determinable in both the scanner image data and said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration;

a computer with a graphics display for receiving, processing and displaying said scanner image data and said camera electronic readout, with both said scanner image data and said camera electronic readout being displayed in proximity to each other, said computer having software for registering and establishing a correspondence between said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data based on information related to the fiducial markers determinable in both said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data, whereby information on said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration can be directly related to said scanner image data, and said at least one surgical instrument in said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration can be directly related to said patient anatomy.

7. Apparatus for relating a representation of a patient'"'"'s anatomy generated from a plurality of scanner image data to at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration of said patient'"'"'s anatomy, including:

at least one camera for registering an image of said patient'"'"'s anatomy and at least one surgical instrument located in relation to said patient'"'"'s anatomy, said camera providing an electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration including location of said at least one surgical instrument in relation to said patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

,

a computer with a graphics display for receiving, processing and displaying said scanner image data and said electronic readout of said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration, said computer having software for registering and establishing a correspondence between said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data based on information related to index points that are determinable in both said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration and said scanner image data, whereby said information relating to said at least one surgical instrument in said at least one camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration can be directly related to said patient'"'"'s anatomy, said computer further including hardware and related software to rotate, translate, and scale said scanner image data to match said camera'"'"'s field-of-image registration as displayed on the graphics display of said computer.