Hybrid registration method

• US 8,218,847 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: superDimension, Ltd. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Averbuch, Dorian, Zur, Oded, Weingarten, Oren
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU T
• Application Number:
  US12/478,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3762 using computed tomography systems [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• 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 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• 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 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30061 Lung
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0016 involving temporal comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A registration method whereby a sensor-based approach is used to establish initial registration and whereby upon the commencement of navigating an endoscope, image-based registration methods are used in order to more accurately maintain the registration between the endoscope location and previously-acquired images. A six-degree-of-freedom location sensor is placed on the probe in order to reduce the number of previously-acquired images that must be compared to a real-time image obtained from the endoscope.

Claims

1. A method of registering real-time sensor location data to previously acquired images of a branched network of body lumens comprising:

placing a probe containing a sensor at a distal end thereof into a branched network of body lumens in a patient;

performing an initial registration between a real-time sensor location and a previously acquired image selected a plurality of previously acquired images of said branched network;

receiving data from said sensor to determine an approximate location of said sensor;

using said approximate location of said sensor to create a subgroup of said plurality of images, said subgroup containing one or more previously acquired images corresponding to said approximate location; and

,

selecting an image from said subgroup that most accurately corresponds to said approximate location to update said initial registration using an image-based registration technique.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a probe containing a sensor at a distal end thereof comprises placing a probe with a six degree of freedom sensor at a distal end thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein performing an initial registration comprises:

viewing a landmark through an endoscope;

using data from said sensor to project a beam from a tip of said probe to said landmark;

displaying said beam on a monitor;

calculating and recording coordinates of said beam location on said landmark; and

,

using said coordinates as a registration point.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data from said sensor to determine a proximate location of said sensor comprises receiving six degree of freedom data from said sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a probe containing a sensor at a distal end thereof into a branched network of body lumens comprises placing a bronchoscope containing a sensor at a distal end thereof into said branched network of body lumens.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting an image from said subgroup that most accurately corresponds to said approximate location to update said initial registration using an image-based registration technique comprises selecting an image from said subgroup that most closely matches an image being viewed through said bronchoscope.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein performing an initial registration between a real-time sensor location and a previously acquired image selected a plurality of previously acquired images of said branched network comprises performing an initial registration using a 4D registration technique.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein performing an initial registration using a 4D registration technique comprises:

recording an image of a landmark as it moves through at least one breathing cycle;

recording concurrently a position of said sensor;

recording concurrently positions of patient sensors, said patient sensor attached at various locations on said patient;

saving said recordings as a data set for said landmark; and

,

using said data set to correlate said position of said sensor to a previously acquired image of said branched network of body lumens.