System and method for detecting status of imaging device

• US 8,170,313 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kendrick, Lance, Bzostek, Andrew, Becker, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US12/946,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/132, 382/276, 382/282, 382/283, 382/287
• US Class Current: 382/128
• 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 2034/2053 Tracking an applied voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• 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 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• 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 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 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0014 Image feed-back for automatic industrial control, e.g. robot with camera robots B25J19/023
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system is provided. The system can comprise a source of at least one image and a mask module that generates a mask array for each received image. The system can also include a background check module that determines a content of the image defined by the mask array and a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the image.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising:

a source of at least one image;

a source of data that indicates a type of imaging device for use with the surgical navigation system;

a mask module that generates a mask array for each received image;

a background check module that determines a content of the image defined by the mask array; and

a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the image and the type of imaging device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the type of imaging device is a type of C-arm employed to acquire the at least one image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the status of the imaging device further comprises an ON indication that the imaging device is actively imaging, an OFF indication that the imaging device is not actively imaging or an UNKNOWN indication associated with whether the imaging device is actively imaging.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each type of C-arm has a characteristic signature associated with an ON indication and a characteristic signature associated with an OFF indication.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the characteristic signature associated with the ON indication further comprises a change in the content of the image.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the change in the content of the image is a dip in a number of pixels in a background of the image.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the characteristic signature associated with an OFF indication further comprises a change in the content of a background of the image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of at least one image data further comprises video data that includes a series of fluoroscopic images.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of data indicates a type of C-arm for use with the surgical navigation system.

10. A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising:

a source of at least one image;

a mask module that generates a mask for each received image to filter out an x-ray disk associated with each image, the mask including an array of paired values that represent starting and ending addresses of each line in a background of each image;

a background check module that determines a content of the background of each image defined by the mask array; and

a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the background of each image.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mask module calculates a radius of the x-ray disk in each image and determines if the radius is safe.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the radius is safe if the radius is not larger than half of a width of the image or smaller than a third of a height of the image.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mask array is generated based on the safe radius.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the mask module determines if the x-ray disk in each image has shifted.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the x-ray disk has shifted if the mask module determines that a paired value in the mask array is associated with a non-black pixel.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the status of the imaging device further comprises an ON indication that the imaging device is actively imaging, an OFF indication that the imaging device is not actively imaging or an UNKNOWN indication associated with whether the imaging device is actively imaging.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising a source of data that indicates a type of imaging device for use with the surgical navigation system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the radiation status module determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the background of each image and the type of imaging device.

19. A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising:

a source of at least one image;

a source of data that indicates a type of C-arm for use with the surgical navigation system;

a mask module that determines a radius of an x-ray disk in each image and if the radius is safe, generates an array for each received image to filter out the x-ray disk associated with each image, the array defining a background of each image;

a background check module that determines a content of the background of each image defined by the array; and

a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the image and the type of C-arm,

wherein the radius is safe if the radius is not larger than half of a width of the image or smaller than a third of a height of the image.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the status of the imaging device further comprises an ON indication that the imaging device is actively imaging, an OFF indication that the imaging device is not actively imaging or an UNKNOWN indication associated with whether the imaging device is actively imaging.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each type of C-arm has a characteristic signature associated with an ON indication, and the characteristic signature associated with the ON indication further comprises a dip in a number of pixels in the background of the image.