System and method of combining ultrasound image acquisition with fluoroscopic image acquisition

• US 8,364,242 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Li, Dun Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy, Baisakhi
• Application Number:
  US12/060,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/424, 600/428, 600/437, 606/130, 382/128, 382/130, 382/131
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• 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 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A system and method to image an imaged subject is provided. The system comprises an ultrasound imaging system including an imaging probe operable to move internally and acquire ultrasound image data of the imaged subject, a fluoroscopic imaging system operable to acquire fluoroscopic image data of the imaged subject during image acquisition by the ultrasound imaging system, and a controller in communication with the ultrasound imaging system and the fluoroscopic imaging system. A display can be illustrative of the ultrasound image data acquired with the imaging probe in combination with a fluoroscopic imaging data acquired by the fluoroscopic imaging system.

Claims

1. A system to image an imaged subject, comprising:

an ultrasound imaging system including an imaging probe operable to move internally and acquire ultrasound image data of the imaged subject during an ultrasound image acquisition interval, the imaging probe including a first marker and a second marker, the first marker having a first pattern and the second marker having a second pattern that is different than the first pattern;

a fluoroscopic imaging system operable to acquire fluoroscopic image data of the imaged subject during the ultrasound image acquisition interval of the ultrasound imaging system;

a controller in communication with the ultrasound imaging system and the fluoroscopic imaging system, the controller configured to automatically track a location of the image probe using information received from the first and second markers; and

a display in communication with the controller, the display displaying during the ultrasound image acquisition interval, the ultrasound imaged data acquired with the imaging probe during the ultrasound image acquisition interval fused with the fluoroscopic imaging data acquired by the fluoroscopic imaging system during the ultrasound image acquisition interval.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging probe includes an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter having a transducer array rotational about a longitudinal axis of the catheter and operable to acquire the ultrasound image data of the imaged subject.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display includes a graphic representation of a location of a target site relative to the ultrasound and fluoroscopic image data per instructions received at the controller.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the display includes a graphical illustration of a path of the imaging probe that leads to the target site of the imaged subject.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is operable to identify a location and an identification of a ablation tool marker in the acquired ultrasound image data, the ablation tool marker attached at an ablation catheter, and to generate a graphic representation of the identification and the location of the ablation catheter relative to the acquired fluoroscopic image data for illustration in the display.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the display further includes a graphic illustration of a distance between the imaging probe relative to an anatomical surface of an imaged anatomy of the imaged subject.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the display further includes an illustration of the cardiac cycle or the respiratory cycle synchronized relative to a point of time of acquisition of updates the ultrasound and fluoroscopic image data of the imaged anatomy continuously or periodically acquired and combined in the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the marker is integrated in a construction of the imaging probe, and wherein the marker includes a metallic object representative of a unique identifier detectable in the fluoroscopic image data acquired by the fluoroscopic image system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein an ultrasound reference frame defines a spatial relation of the ultrasound image data, and a fluoroscopic reference frame defines a spatial relation of the fluoroscopic image data, and the controller registers the ultrasound reference frame relative to fluoroscopic reference frame.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound image data and the fluoroscopic image data are acquired simultaneously.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluoroscopic image data is acquired while the imaging probe is moved internally through the imaged subject.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging probe automatically follows a path of a second object located internally within the imaged subject.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first marker comprises a plurality of metallic objects arranged in the first pattern and the second marker comprises a plurality of metallic objects arranged in the second different pattern.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second markers comprise active targets.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one tracking element configured to receive a signal from the active targets, the controller configured to determine a location of the imaging probe based on the received signal.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second markers comprise passive targets.

17. A method of image acquisition of an imaged subject, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an ultrasound imaging system including an imaging probe in communication with a controller, the imaging probe including a first marker and a second marker, the first marker having a first pattern and the second marker having a second pattern that is different than the first pattern, the controller configured to automatically track a location of the image probe using information received from the first and second markers;

acquiring ultrasound image data of the imaged subject during an ultrasound image acquisition interval;

providing a fluoroscopic imaging system operable to acquire fluoroscopic image data of the imaged subject during the ultrasound image acquisition interval of the ultrasound imaging system; and

displaying the ultrasound imaged data acquired with the imaging probe during the ultrasound image acquisition interval fused with the fluoroscopic imaging data acquired by the fluoroscopic imaging system during the ultrasound image acquisition interval.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of acquiring the ultrasound image data includes rotating a transducer array rotational about a longitudinal axis of the imaging probe, the imaging probe operable to acquire ultrasound image data of the imaged subject.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step of displaying includes creating a graphic representation of a location of a target site relative to the ultrasound and fluoroscopic image data per instructions received at the controller.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of displaying includes creating a graphical illustration of a path of the imaging probe that leads to the target site of the imaged subject.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to identify a location and an identification of a marker attached at an ablation catheter in the acquired ultrasound image data, and to generate a graphic representation of the identification and the location of the ablation catheter relative to the acquired fluoroscopic image data for illustration in the display.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of displaying further includes creating a graphic illustration of a distance between the imaging probe relative to an anatomical surface of the imaged anatomy of the imaged subject.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of displaying further includes creating an illustration of a cardiac cycle or a respiratory cycle synchronized relative to a point of time of acquisition of updates continuously or periodically acquired and combined with the fluoroscopic image data of the imaged subject.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the marker is integrated in a construction of the imaging probe, and wherein the marker includes a metallic object representative of a unique identifier detectable in the fluoroscopic image data acquired by the fluoroscopic imaging system.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein an ultrasound reference frame defines a spatial relation of the ultrasound image data, and wherein a fluoroscopic reference frame defines a spatial relation of the fluoroscopic image data, and further comprising the step of registering the ultrasound reference frame relative to fluoroscopic reference frame.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising acquiring the fluoroscopic image data while the imaging probe is moved internally through the imaged subject.