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

• US 8,421,799 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• 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), Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Markowitz, H. Toby, Scanlon, David, Fleming, Ioana, Karamanoglu, Mustafa, Giese, Chad, Nowak, Karl Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Welch, David T
• Application Number:
  US13/358,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/427, 345/649, 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 device, comprising:

generating a map representing a three-dimensional surface of a heart of a patient with a plurality of map data points determined by moving a position element through the heart to collect the plurality of map data points, wherein moving the position element through the heart of the patient includes determining a plurality of positions of the position element within the heart of the patient and rendering a representation of the plurality of positions of the position element to the display device;

moving a virtual camera relative to a selected region of movement; and

displaying with the display device a plurality of virtual camera perspectives of the generated map based on moving the virtual camera;

wherein the rendering of the plurality of positions of the position element to generate the map is performed without any additional image data of the heart.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of movement includes a point of rotation within the generated map;

wherein moving the virtual camera includes moving the camera in an arc around the point of rotation in a plane of rotation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a dimension of the arc to be 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;

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

sequentially displaying the plurality of virtual camera perspectives on the display device at least at a sub-plurality of divisions of the plurality of divisions.

4. The method of claim 3, 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.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a position of the position element includes:

positioning a set of axis electrodes on a surface of the patient;

injecting a current between the set of axis electrodes within the patient;

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

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

determining a position of the position element within the heart based upon the determined bioimpedance.

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

determining a plurality of positions of a position element within a structure, wherein at least a sub-plurality of the plurality of positions of a position element are a plurality of map data points;

generating a map at least by rendering a representation of a three-dimensional surface of the structure with the plurality of map data points collected by moving the position element through the structure, wherein generating the map with the plurality of map data points is performed without any additional image data of the structure;

rendering a first virtual camera perspective from a first virtual camera position;

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

rendering a second virtual camera perspective from the second virtual camera position; and

selectively displaying with the display device the first virtual camera perspective and the second virtual camera perspective of the generated map based on moving the virtual camera.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the region of movement includes a point of rotation within the generated map;

wherein moving the virtual camera includes moving the virtual camera in an arc around the point of rotation in a plane of rotation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

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;

wherein selectively displaying includes sequentially displaying the plurality of virtual camera perspectives with the display device.

9. The method of claim 8, 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.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a position of the position element includes:

positioning a set of axis electrodes on a surface of the structure;

injecting a current between the set of axis electrodes within the structure;

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

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

determining a position of the position element within the structure based upon the determined bioimpedance.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein rendering the first virtual camera perspective and rendering the second virtual camera includes rendering without any additional image data of a heart.

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

generating a map representing a three-dimensional surface with a plurality of map data points, wherein the map data points are collected by;

positioning a set of axis electrodes relative to a surface of the structure,

injecting a current between the set of axis electrodes within the structure,

moving a position element through the structure to a plurality of locations,

sensing a voltage with the position element based on the injected current at least at a sub-plurality of locations of the plurality of locations,

determining a bioimpedance based on the sensed voltage and injected current, and

determining a position of the position element within the structure based upon the determined bioimpedance;

moving a virtual camera to a plurality of virtual camera positions relative to a selected region of movement;

rendering a plurality of virtual camera perspectives based on at least a sub-plurality of virtual camera positions of the plurality of virtual camera positions;

selectively displaying with the display device the rendering of the plurality of virtual camera perspectives based on at least a sub-plurality of virtual camera positions of the plurality of virtual camera positions based on moving the virtual camera.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein moving the virtual camera to the plurality of virtual camera positions includes automatically moving the virtual camera to each of the virtual camera positions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

defining an arc around the selected region; and

defining perspective points along the defined arc;

wherein each of the plurality of virtual camera positions are the perspective points.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the virtual camera to each of the virtual camera positions includes:

moving the virtual camera at each of the plurality of virtual camera positions for a time step length.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selectively displaying with the display device the rendering the plurality of virtual camera perspectives is sequentially displaying the rendering of the plurality of virtual camera perspectives with the display device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein sequentially displaying the rendering of the plurality of virtual camera perspectives with the display device is based on the generated map representing a three-dimensional surface with the plurality of map data points.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying with the display device a position of an implantable lead relative to the at least one of the rendered plurality of virtual camera perspectives;

wherein rendering the plurality of virtual camera perspectives based on at least a sub-plurality of virtual camera positions of the plurality of virtual camera positions includes rendering without any additional image data of a heart.

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

generating a map representing a three-dimensional surface of a structure with a plurality of map data points determined by moving a position element through the structure to determine a plurality of positions of the position element to collect the plurality of map data points;

moving a virtual camera relative to a selected region of movement, wherein the region of movement includes a focal point that includes a point of rotation within the generated map;

moving the virtual camera at a distance from the focal point in an arc around the focal point in a plane of rotation; and

displaying with the display device a plurality of virtual camera perspectives of the focal point of the generated map based on moving the virtual camera,

wherein generating the map representing the three-dimensional surface of the structure includes rendering the plurality of positions without any additional image data of the structure.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

dividing the arc into a plurality of divisions;

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

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

sequentially displaying the plurality of virtual camera perspectives on the display device at least at a sub-plurality of divisions of the plurality of divisions.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

selecting a dimension of the arc to be less than 360°

around the point of rotation.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

rendering a representation of the plurality of positions of the position element to the display device;

wherein the rendering of the plurality of positions of the position element for generating the map is performed without any additional image data of the structure.