Positioning an object based on aligned images of the object

• US 7,934,869 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Bradshaw, Andrea E. G., Barnwell, John C. III, Ivanov, Yuri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/495,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 378/20, 378/62, 378/65, 378/91, 378/95, 378/196, 378/197, 378/204, 378/205, 600/407, 600/425, 600/427
• US Class Current: 378/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1069 Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support

Abstract

Embodiment of the invention describes a system and a method for positioning an object from a first pose to a second pose. The method displays concurrently a first image and a second image on a display device, wherein the first image and the second image represent respectively the first pose and the second pose of the object. The method updates, in response to a change in a pose of the display device, the second image such that an alignment of the first image and the second image on the display device depends on the change in the pose of the display device, and positions the object from the first pose to the second pose based on the change in the pose of the display device.

Claims

1. A method for positioning an object from a first pose to a second pose, comprising a processor for performing steps of the method, comprising the steps of:

displaying concurrently a first image and a second image on a display device, wherein the first image and the second image represent respectively the first pose and the second pose of the object;

updating, in response to a change in a pose of the display device, the second image such that an alignment of the first image and the second image on the display device depends on the change in the pose of the display device; and

positioning the object from the first pose to the second pose based on the change in the pose of the display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering the first image from an image acquired of the object having the first pose; and

rendering the second image from a volumetric image acquired of the object having the second pose.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating further comprising:

determining the change in the pose of the display device;

determining view parameters representing the object having a pose resulted from a change in the second pose, wherein the change in the second pose corresponds to the change in the pose of the display device; and

rendering the second image from the volumetric image according to the view parameters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the object is a patient positioned for a treatment, and the first image is rendered from an X-ray image acquired of the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the volumetric image is constructed from volumetric data acquired of the patient using computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the second image with the first image on the display device based on the change of the pose of the display device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining transformation parameters suitable for the positioning of the object based on the change in the pose of the display device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display device includes a touch sensitive screen, and the first image and the second image are suitable for being manipulated on the display device using the touch sensitive screen, further comprising:

correcting the transformation parameters based on the manipulation of the first image and the second image on the display device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first image and the second image to produce a comparison result; and

displaying the comparison result on the display device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparison result is indicative of a direction of misalignment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparison result is a similarity metric.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging rigidly the display device on a manipulator having a six-degrees of freedom (6-DOF), such that the display device has 6-DOF, wherein the manipulator includes a suspension mechanism configured to provide zero-gravity suspension for the display device.

13. A system for positioning an object from a first pose to a second pose, comprising:

a display device configured to display concurrently a first image and a second image, wherein the first image and the second image represent respectively the first pose and the second pose of the object;

rendering engine configured to update, in response to a change in the pose of the display device, the second image such that an alignment of the first image and the second image on the display device depends on the change in the pose of the display device; and

a positioning module configured to position the object from the first pose to the second pose based on the change in the pose of the display device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a touch sensitive screen mounted on the display device such that the second image is suitable to be manipulated on the display device using the touch sensitive screen;

means for determining transformation parameters based on the pose of the display device; and

means for correcting the transformation parameters based on the manipulation of the second image using the touch sensitive screen.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a camera connected to the display device such that the change in the pose of the display device determines a change in a pose of the camera;

a calibration pattern positioned in a focus of the camera; and

a pose measurement module configured to determine the change in the pose of the camera based on an image of the calibration pattern acquired by the camera.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a manipulator having six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) rigidly connected to the display device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the manipulator is configured to provide a zero-gravity suspension for the display device.

18. A system for positioning an object from a first pose to a second pose, comprising:

a manipulator having six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) configured to be rigidly connected to a display device, wherein the display device is configured to display concurrently a first image and a second image, wherein the first image and the second image represent respectively the first pose and the second pose of the object;

rendering engine configured to update, in response to a change in the pose of the manipulator, the second image such that an alignment of the first image and the second image on the display device depends on the change in the pose of the manipulator; and

a positioning module configured to determine the change in the pose of the manipulator, wherein the object is suitable to be positioned from the first pose to the second pose based on the change in the pose of the manipulator.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining view parameters representing the object having a pose resulted from a change in the second pose, wherein the change in the second pose corresponds to the change in the pose of the manipulator; and

a graphic processing unit configured to render the second image from a volumetric image according to the view parameters.