Anatomical visualization system

• US 6,241,657 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ledyard National Bank (Ledyard Financial Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medical Media Systems
• Inventors: Chen, David T., McKenna, Michael A., Pieper, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/111,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/103, 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/407, 600/476, 348/65, 348/74, 606/130
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/317 for bones or joints, e.g. osteoscopes, arthroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/368 changing the image on a display according to the operator's position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• 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 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

A real-time computer-based viewing system comprising a database of pre-existing software objects, wherein at least one of said software objects corresponds to a physical structure which is to be viewed by said system; a real-time sensor for acquiring data about said physical structure when said physical structure is located within that sensor'"'"'s data acquisition field, wherein said sensor is capable of being moved about relative to said physical structure; generating means for generating an additional software object corresponding to said physical structure using data acquired by said sensor; registration means for positioning said additional software object in registration with said pre-existing software objects contained in said database; processing means for generating an image from said pre-existing software objects and said additional software object contained in said database, based upon a specified point of view; wherein said generating means create an additional software object corresponding to a disk, and said generating means are adapted to texture map the data acquired by said sensor onto said disk, and wherein said generating means comprise means for varying the relative density of the data which is texture mapped onto said disk, whereby the portion of the image generated by said processing means which is attributable to data acquired by said real-time sensor can be faded relative to the remainder of the image generated by said processing means.

Claims

1. A real-time computer-based viewing system comprising:

a database of pre-existing software objects, wherein at least one of said software objects corresponds to a physical structure which is to be viewed by said system;

a real-time sensor for acquiring data about said physical structure when said physical structure is located within that sensor'"'"'s data acquisition field, wherein said sensor is capable of being moved about relative to said physical structure;

generating means for generating an additional software object corresponding to said physical structure using data acquired by said sensor;

registration means for positioning said additional software object in registration with said pre-existing software objects contained in said database;

processing means for generating an image from said pre-existing software objects and said additional software object contained in said database, based upon a specified point of view;

wherein said generating means create an additional software object corresponding to a disk, and said generating means are adapted to texture map the data acquired by said sensor onto said disk, and wherein said generating means comprise means for varying the relative density of the data which is texture mapped onto said disk, whereby the portion of the image generated by said processing means which is attributable to data acquired by said real-time sensor can be faded relative to the remainder of the image generated by said processing means.