Method and system for restoration of a navigation data loss in image-guided navigation

• US 7,933,730 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker European Operations Holdings, LLC (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Groszmann, Daniel Eduardo, Li, Dun Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu; Sujoy K
• Application Number:
  US11/614,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 702 94- 95, 702/104, 702152-153, 702/134, 324/207.16, 324/207.19, 324/207.18, 324/207.26, 342/463, 600/407, 600/424, 600/427, 600/429, 600/130
• US Class Current: 702/94
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A method for restoring navigation failure information in a fluoroscopy-based imaging system is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a plurality of receiver navigation information using a calibration target rigidly attached to a supporting member of the imaging system. The calibration target may include a plurality of receivers providing navigation information and the supporting member may be a C-arm. The method identifies a navigation failure and corresponding to the navigation failure a calibrated receiver navigation information is generated. The calibrated receiver navigation information is generated using a calibration information and a C-arm imaging position obtained during navigation failure. A receiver navigation information corresponding to the navigation failure is estimated using the calibrated receiver navigation information, and a transmitter navigation information. Also disclosed is a restoration unit for restoring navigation failure information in a fluoroscopy-based imaging system and a fluoroscopic imaging system using the restoration unit.

Claims

1. A method for restoring navigation failure information in a fluoroscopy-based imaging system, comprising:

(a) obtaining a plurality of receiver navigation information using a calibration target attached to a supporting member of the imaging system, said calibration target including a plurality of receivers providing navigation information and the supporting member including a C-arm;

(b) identifying a navigation failure;

(c) determining a calibrated receiver navigation information using a calibration information defined corresponding to each C-arm position and a C-arm imaging position obtained during the navigation failure;

(d) estimating a receiver navigation information corresponding to the navigation failure by a coordinate transformation using the calibrated receiver navigation information, and a transmitter navigation information, the transmitter navigation information being selected corresponding to the receiver navigation information falling within a valid tracker range; and

(e) restoring the navigation failure information using estimated receiver navigation information.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising, synchronizing acquisition of receiver navigation information with C-arm imaging position.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the receiver navigation information includes position and orientation of the receiver with respect to the transmitter within a predefined range of distance measured between the transmitter and the receiver during a three dimensional C-arm sweep and the transmitter navigation information includes position and orientation of the transmitter with respect to the receiver within a predefined range of distance measured between the transmitter and the receiver during a three dimensional C-arm spin.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the C-arm is a mobile C-arm.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein positions of receiver and transmitter attachment on the C-arm, instrument, or patient anatomy are inter-changeable.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining calibration information comprises:

(a) obtaining a plurality of receiver navigation information;

(b) defining a rotation center using the receiver navigation information, for defining motion of the C-arm in a circle;

(c) defining a world coordinate system at the rotation center;

(d) obtaining a plurality of C-arm positions in the imaging system; and

(e) re-computing plurality of receiver navigation information, corresponding to each C-arm position in the world co-ordinate system.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining calibrated receiver information comprises:

generating a higher order interpolation using the calibration information and the C-arm imaging position.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein estimating a receiver navigation failure information comprises:

(a) obtaining a C-arm position during navigation failure;

(b) obtaining a calibrated receiver navigation information corresponding to the C-arm position; and

(d) obtaining a plurality of transmitter navigation information with respect to the receiver in the world co-ordinate system, during a navigation failure.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein estimating a receiver navigation failure information further comprising:

restoring the receiver navigation failure information corresponding to the navigation failure based on a coordinate transformation using the transmitter navigation information and the calibrated receiver navigation information.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the fluoroscopy navigation system is configured to be a fluoroscopy C-arm imaging system, a computer tomography imaging system or a magnetic resonance imaging system.

11. A unit for restoring navigation failure information in a navigation system comprising:

a calibration target attached to a fluoroscopy C-arm in the navigation system, said calibration target including a plurality of receivers providing receiver navigation information;

an identifier associated with the receiver for identifying a navigation failure information; and

a connector for providing receiver navigation information, transmitter navigation information, navigation failure information and selected C-arm position to a processor;

wherein the processor is configured for generating receiver navigation failure information corresponding to the navigation failure information, based upon a calibration information, C-arm position and a transmitter navigation information by a coordinate transformation and for restoring the navigation failure information using estimated receiver navigation information.

12. A unit as in claim 11, wherein the receiver navigation information includes position and orientation of the receiver with respect to a transmitter within a predefined range of distance measured between the transmitter and the receiver during a three dimensional C-arm spin and the transmitter navigation information includes position and orientation of the transmitter with respect to the receiver within a predefined range of distance measured between the transmitter and the receiver during a three dimensional C-arm spin.

13. A unit as in claim 11, wherein the calibration target is configured to be an array of radio opaque fiducials or receivers arranged for use in image calibration for an imaging system.

14. A unit of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is attached to a fixture and is positioned maintaining predefined distance with the receiver.

15. A unit as in claim 11, wherein the processor is configured for generating calibration information using plurality of receiver navigation information corresponding to plurality of C-arm positions.

16. A unit as in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured for restoring the receiver navigation failure information based on a coordinate transformation using the transmitter navigation information during navigation failure and the calibrated receiver navigation information.

17. A unit as in claim 11, wherein the image navigation system includes a fluoroscopy navigation imaging system.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored thereon for causing a computer processor to perform:

a routine for obtaining a calibrated receiver navigation information using a calibration information and a C-arm position;

a routine for obtaining navigation failure information;

a routine for estimating receiver navigation failure information corresponding to the navigation failure information based on the calibrated receiver navigation information and transmitter navigation information by a coordinate transformation; and

a routine for restoring the navigation failure information using estimated receiver navigation information.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the routine for obtaining calibrated receiver navigation information comprising:

a routine for obtaining a calibration information corresponding to plurality of C-arm position based on plurality of receiver navigation information.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the routine for estimating receiver navigation failure information comprising:

a routine for restoring the receiver navigation failure information based on a co-ordinate transformation using the transmitter navigation information, C-arm position and the calibrated receiver navigation information.