Respiratory gated image fusion of computed tomography 3D images and live fluoroscopy images

• US 7,467,007 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lothert, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rozanski; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US11/434,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/424, 600/428, 378/19, 128/899
• US Class Current: 600/428
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal

Abstract

A system and method is provided directed to improved real-time image guidance by uniquely combining the capabilities of two well-known imaging modalities, anatomical 3D data from computer tomography (CT) and real time data from live fluoroscopy images provided by an angiography/fluoroscopy system to ensure a more efficient and safer intervention in treating punctures, drainages and biopsies in the abdominal and thoracic areas of the human body.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time image guidance in an image-guided medical procedure, the method comprising:

(a) constructing, in a pre-operative stage of said procedure, a fused image comprising a single image of a computer tomography (CT) generated anatomical 4D data set of a patient'"'"'s region of operative interest with a static fluoroscopic image of said patient'"'"'s region of operative interest;

(b) acquiring, in an operative stage of said procedure, a live fluoroscopic image of said patient'"'"'s region of operative interest;

(c) acquiring, in said operative stage, an operative respiratory gating signal of the patient, substantially coincident with said step (b); and

(d) triggering, in said operative stage, the fused image, obtained at said step (a), with the live fluoroscopic image, obtained at said step (b) by the real-time respiratory gating signal, obtained at said step (c) to generate a real-time fused, and triggered image of said patient'"'"'s region of operative interest;

wherein the fused and triggered image provides real-time image guidance during said image-guided medical procedure by displaying a medical device in real time to ensure a safer and more efficient intervention

wherein the constructing step (a) further comprises

acquiring a pre-operative respiratory gating signal of the patient'"'"'s respiratory movement, at substantially a point in time when the monitored respiratory signal reaches a preset phase of respiration;

acquiring an anatomical 3D data set of a patient'"'"'s region of operative interest;

constructing an anatomical 4D data set from the acquired anatomical 3D data set;

acquiring a static fluoroscopic image of said patient'"'"'s region of operative interest;

selecting a single frame from the anatomical 4D data set as an optimal image; and

statically fusing the selected single frame from the anatomical 4D data set with the acquired static fluoroscopic image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fused image comprises one of a landmark based fused image, surface based fused image, intensity based fused image, and point based fused image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operative respiratory gating signal is acquired at substantially a point in time when the monitored respiratory signal reaches a preset phase of respiration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a single frame from the anatomical 4D data set as an optimal image further comprises:

simultaneously displaying the anatomical 4D data set and the static fluoroscopic image on a display device; and

reviewing each frame of the 4D data set and the static fluoroscopic image to identify said single frame as a frame having the highest degree of correlation with the displayed static fluoroscopic image based on a set of common anatomical landmarks.