Hybrid registration method

• US 8,467,589 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Averbuch, Dorian, Zur, Oded, Weingarten, Oren
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU T
• Application Number:
  US13/287,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 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 in branched network of body lumens in a patient;

placing a plurality of patient sensors on said patient;

recording an image of an anatomical landmark in said patient as said landmark 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.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a plurality of patient sensors on said patient comprises affixing said plurality of patient sensors to said patient'"'"'s chest.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a plurality of patient sensors on said patient comprises affixing a plurality of patient sensors to said branched network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein using said data set to correlate said position of said sensor to a previously acquired image of said branched network of body lumens comprises using said data set to correlate said position of said sensor to a previously acquired CT image of said branched network of body lumens.