Methods, apparatuses, and systems useful in conducting image guided interventions

• US 8,483,801 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veran Medical Technologies, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Veran Medical Technologies, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Edwards, Jerome R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US12/941,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3958 emitting a signal
• 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 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems relating to image guided interventions on dynamic tissue. One embodiment is a method that includes creating a dataset that includes images, one of the images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker, being linked to non-tissue internal reference marker positional information, and being at least 2-dimensional. Another embodiment is a method that includes receiving a position of an instrument reference marker coupled to an instrument; transforming the position into image space using a position of a non-tissue internal reference marker implanted in a patient; and superimposing a representation of the instrument on an image in which the non-tissue internal reference marker appears. Computer readable media that include machine readable instructions for carrying out the steps of the disclosed methods. Apparatuses, such as integrated circuits, configured to carry out the steps of the disclosed methods. Systems that include devices configured to carry out steps of the disclosed methods.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code comprising code to:

create a dataset that includes a plurality of images associated with a body part, at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker, the at least one image from the plurality of images being associated with a non-tissue internal reference marker position information, the at least one image from the plurality of images being at least 2-dimensional;

calculate for each image in the dataset a dataset vector based on a position of the non-tissue internal reference marker;

receive data associated with a current position of an external reference marker;

calculate a current vector using the data associated with the current position of the external reference marker and the dataset vector associated with an image from the dataset;

identify a match dataset vector (MDV), the MDV being the dataset vector most similar to the current vector, the MDV being associated with an image from the dataset;

receive data associated with a current position of an instrument reference marker coupled to an instrument;

apply a transformation associated with the image associated with the MDV to the current position of the instrument reference marker, thus transforming the current position of the instrument reference marker into image space; and

superimpose a representation of the instrument on the image associated with the MDV.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code to create the dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes at least one image taken via at least one of fluoroscopy, CINE fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code to create the dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes at least one 3-dimensional image.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein code to create the dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes a plurality of images including gated information.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising code to:

cause threshold segmentation of each image of the plurality of images, the threshold segmentation allowing the code to create the dataset.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising code to:

receive a periodic human characteristic signal.

7. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the code to receive the periodic human characteristic signal includes code to receive a human characteristic signal calculated using the position of the non-tissue internal reference marker.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code to create the dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code to create a dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part, the body part exhibiting movement correlated with at least one of heartbeat or respiration.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code to create a dataset includes code to create a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part, the body part exhibiting cyclical movement.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the position of the non-tissue internal reference marker is determined using segmentation.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the non-tissue internal reference marker comprises an opaque chamber and one or more tracking sensors configured for placement in the opaque chamber, such that the non-tissue internal reference marker is capable of functioning as a tracking marker and an imaging marker.

13. A method, comprising:

creating a dataset that includes a plurality of images associated with a body part, at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker, the at least one image from the plurality of images being associated with non-tissue internal reference marker positional information, the at least one image from the plurality of images being at least 2-dimensional;

calculating for each image in the dataset a dataset vector based on a position of the non-tissue internal reference marker;

receiving data associated with a current position of an external reference marker;

calculating a current vector using the data associated with the current position of the external reference marker and the dataset vector associated with an image from the dataset;

identifying a match dataset vector (MDV), the MDV being the dataset vector most similar to the current vector, the MDV being associated with an image from the dataset;

receiving data associated with a current position of an instrument reference marker coupled to an instrument;

applying a transformation associated with the image associated with the MDV to the current position of the instrument reference marker, thus transforming the current position of the instrument reference marker into image space; and

superimposing a representation of the instrument on the image associated with the MDV.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating the dataset that includes a plurality of images associated with a body part includes creating a dataset that includes at least one image taken via at least one of fluoroscopy, CINE fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating the dataset includes creating a dataset that includes at least one 3-dimensional image.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein creating the dataset includes creating a dataset that includes a plurality of images including gated information.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing threshold segmentation of each image of the plurality of images, the threshold segmentation allowing the code to create the dataset.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a periodic human characteristic signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving the periodic human characteristic signal includes receiving a human characteristic signal calculated using the position of the non-tissue internal reference marker.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating the dataset includes creating a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating the dataset includes creating a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part, the body part exhibiting movement correlated with at least one of heartbeat or respiration.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating a dataset includes creating a dataset that includes at least one image from the plurality of images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker placed on the body part, the body part exhibiting cyclical movement.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the position of the non-tissue internal reference marker is determined using segmentation.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-tissue internal reference marker comprises an opaque chamber and one or more tracking sensors configured for placement in the opaque chamber, such that the non-tissue internal reference marker is capable of functioning as a tracking marker and an imaging marker.