Illustrating a three-dimensional nature of a data set on a two-dimensional display

• US 8,106,905 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc), Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Markowitz, H. Toby, Scanlon, David, Fleming, Ioana, Karamanoglu, Mustafa, Nowak, Karl Evan, Giese, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Welch, David T
• Application Number:
  US12/423,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/649, 345/427, 382/128, 600/373, 600/424, 600/547
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00053 Mapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/063 for measuring volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• 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 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 : invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/063 : using impedance measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 : Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/068 : using impedance sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 : Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 : Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 : Navigation within 3D models or images

Abstract

A volume of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of a volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of other imaging devices. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.

Claims

1. A method of illustrating a three dimensional representation of a structure with a two-dimensional display screen, comprising:

collecting a plurality of position data points including;

positioning a set of axis electrodes on an exterior surface of the subject;

injecting a current between the set of axis electrodes within the volume of the subject;

sensing a voltage with the position element based on the injected current;

determining an impedance based on the sensed voltage and injected current;

determining a first position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance; and

determining a second position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance;

storing the plurality of collected position data points by moving a position element through a volume of a subject to define at least a portion of the volume of the subject;

rendering a surface representing an outer extent of an internal wall of the volume of the subject based on the stored plurality of position data points;

selecting a region of movement;

positioning a virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a first virtual camera perspective;

positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a second virtual camera perspective; and

rendering for display a first perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the first virtual camera perspective;

rendering for display a second perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the second virtual camera perspective; and

changing, based on a selection, a display of a display device between the rendered first perspective display and the rendered second perspective display;

wherein storing the plurality of collected position data points includes storing at least the determined first position and the determined second position;

wherein the rendered surface representing an outer extent of an internal wall of the volume of the subject is based at least on the determined and saved collected first position and the second position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the position element from the first position to the second position;

wherein determining the first position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance and determining the second position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance includes determining a relative position of the position element based upon the determined impedance at both the first position and the second position;

wherein rendering the surface representing an outer extent of an internal wall of the volume of the subject based on the stored plurality of position data points includes rendering a representation of the plurality of position data points relative to one another.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein selecting the region of movement includes selecting a point of rotation within the rendered surface of the volume;

and

wherein positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a first virtual camera perspective and positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a second virtual camera perspective includes moving the virtual camera in an arc around the point of rotation in a plane of rotation.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a dimension of the arc less than 360°

around the point of rotation;

dividing the arc into a plurality of divisions;

selecting a time step length for moving the virtual camera along the arc; and

automatically moving the virtual camera to each of the divisions along the arc for the time step length.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sequentially displaying the plurality of virtual camera perspectives on the display device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

a user selecting the time step lengths;

inputting the time step lengths into a processing system;

wherein the processing system executes instructions based on the time step lengths to generate the plurality of virtual camera perspectives.

7. A method of illustrating a three dimensional representation of a structure with a two-dimensional display screen, comprising:

determining a first position of a position element within the volume of the subject based upon a first tracked location of the position element;

determining a second position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon a second tracked location of the position element;

storing at least the determined first position and the determined second position;

rendering a surface representing an outer extent of an internal wall of the volume of the subject based on the stored determined first position and the determined second position relative to one another, without requiring additional image data information;

selecting a region of movement;

positioning a virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a first virtual camera perspective;

positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a second virtual camera perspective; and

rendering for display a first perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the first virtual camera perspective;

rendering for display a second perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the second virtual camera perspective; and

changing, based on a selection, a display of a display device between the rendered first perspective display and the rendered second perspective display.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving the position element from the first position to the second position.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

collecting a plurality of position data points including;

positioning a set of axis electrodes on an exterior surface of the subject;

injecting a current between the set of axis electrodes within the volume of the subject;

sensing a voltage with the position element based on the injected current;

determining a impedance based on the sensed voltage and injected current;

wherein determining the first position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance;

wherein determining the second position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance; and

wherein storing at least the determined first position and the determined second position includes storing a plurality of position data points.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the first position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance and determining the second position of the position element within the volume of the subject based upon the determined impedance includes determining a relative position of the position element based upon the determined impedance at both the first position and the second position.

11. The method of claim 7,

wherein selecting the region of movement includes selecting a point of rotation within the rendered surface of the volume;

and

wherein positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a first virtual camera perspective and positioning the virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a second virtual camera perspective includes moving the virtual camera in an arc around the point of rotation in a plane of rotation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a dimension of the arc less than 360°

around the point of rotation;

dividing the arc into a plurality of divisions;

selecting a time step length for moving the virtual camera along the arc; and

automatically moving the virtual camera to each of the divisions along the arc for the time step length.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sequentially displaying the plurality of virtual camera perspectives on the display device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

a user selecting the time step lengths;

inputting the time step lengths into a processing system;

wherein the processing system executes instructions based on the time step lengths to generate the plurality of virtual camera perspectives.

15. A method of illustrating a three dimensional representation of a structure with a two-dimensional display screen, comprising:

determining a first plurality of map data points within the volume of the subject based upon a first plurality of tracked locations of a position element;

rendering a surface representing an outer extent of an internal wall of the volume of the subject based on the determined first plurality of map data points based on the first plurality of tracked locations of the position element without requiring additional image data, wherein the first plurality of map data points are tracked locations of the position element in three dimensions;

selecting a region of movement;

positioning a virtual camera relative to the selected region of movement at a first virtual camera perspective;

rendering for display a first perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the first virtual camera perspective;

moving the virtual camera to a second virtual camera perspective relative to the selected region of movement;

rendering for display a second perspective display of the rendered surface based on the virtual camera positioned relative to the selected region of movement at the second virtual camera perspective; and

changing, based on a selection, a display of a display device between the rendered first perspective display and the rendered second perspective display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the region of movement includes selecting a region of rotation;

wherein moving the virtual camera to the second virtual camera perspective includes rotating the virtual camera around the region of rotation; and

displaying a second virtual camera perspective of the three-dimensional structure map with the display device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the rendered surface is three dimensional;

wherein selecting the region of movement includes selecting a line defined through the rendered surface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rendered surface is a map of a surface of a structure in a human.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the virtual camera includes defining an arc around the selected region of movement;

moving the virtual camera along the arc a selected distance at a first time step;

wherein displaying the second virtual camera perspective includes displaying a perspective of the rendered surface from the second virtual camera perspective of the virtual camera at the first time step along the defined arc.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

removing the displayed first virtual camera perspective from the display device and displaying the second virtual camera perspective alone on the display device;

wherein a change from the displayed first virtual camera perspective and the displayed second virtual camera perspective mimics movement of a user around the three dimensional structure map.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the distance of the virtual camera moves along the arc is a selected distance;

wherein the virtual camera moves along the arc substantially automatically and the display on the display device substantially automatically changes from the displayed first virtual camera perspective to the second virtual camera perspective.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

a user selecting changing a perspective;

wherein the virtual camera moves around the region of movement including the virtual camera moving to a plurality of positions along the arc and a plurality of time steps to generate a plurality of virtual camera perspectives;

wherein each of the plurality of virtual camera perspectives are sequentially and individually displayed on the display device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein moving the virtual camera to a second virtual camera perspective relative to the selected region of movement includes:

selecting an arc length of the defined arc around a region of rocking;

dividing the selected arc length into divisions;

moving the virtual camera to each of the divisions of the defined arc;

generating a virtual camera perspective at each of the divisions along the defined arc; and

displaying in sequence the plurality of perspectives of the rendered map surface based upon the position of the virtual camera at the divisions of the defined arc.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

selecting a time step length between each of the positions of the virtual camera at the divisions along the defined arc;

instructing a processor system to move the virtual camera to each of the divisions based upon the time step length at each of the divisions along the defined arc;

moving the virtual camera from the first end of the defined arc to the second end of the defined arc based upon the divisions and selected time step length and returning from the second end of the defined arc to the first end of the defined arc substantially automatically; and

displaying on the display device each of the plurality of the perspectives of the virtual camera of the rendered map surface substantially automatically and in a time sequence based on the selected time step length at each of the divisions of the defined arc.