System and method for abdominal surface matching using pseudo-features

• US 8,781,186 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analogic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pathfinder Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Clements, Logan, Stefansic, James, Dumpuri, Prashanth, Li, Senhu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US13/101,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/154, 382/131, 382/132, 382/133, 382/294
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical 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 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/373 using light, e.g. by using optical scanners
• 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A system and method for using pre-procedural images for registration for image-guided therapy (IGT), also referred to as image-guided intervention (IGI), in percutaneous surgical application. Pseudo-features and patient abdomen and organ surfaces are used for registration and to establish the relationship needed for guidance. Three-dimensional visualizations of the vasculature, tumor(s), and organs may be generated for enhanced guidance information. The invention facilitates extensive pre-procedural planning, thereby significantly reducing procedural times. It also minimizes the patient exposure to radiation.

Claims

1. A method for performing registration for percutaneous surgical procedures, comprising the steps of:

generating a computer model of a portion of an outer surface of a patient from pre-procedural image data;

marking a set of pseudo-features on the generated computer model of the portion of the outer surface;

acquiring an intra-procedural image of a corresponding portion of the outer surface of the patient;

generating a set of intra-procedural pseudo-features by digitizing one or more contours on the corresponding portion of the outer surface of the patient; and

performing an alignment or registration of the model generated from the pre-procedural data with data from the intra-procedural image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the outer surface of a patient comprises the abdomen of the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intra-procedural image of the patient surface is acquired through a laser range scanner, or an optically or magnetically tracked stylus or instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of pseudo-features comprise four quadrants formed by an intersection of a series of points in a superoinferior direction along the patient'"'"'s midline and across the patient'"'"'s abdomen normal to a vertical line intersecting at the navel.

5. The method of claim 4, further wherein the set of pseudo-features further comprises a feature representing an intersection of the four quadrants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the alignment or registration further comprises the use of pre-procedural surface data for one or more internal organs of the patient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying data for facilitating the percutaneous surgical procedure based on said alignment.

8. The method of claim 7, further wherein the display comprises a three-dimensional model of a portion of the patient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional model includes the surface of the patient'"'"'s abdomen, and one or more organs inside the abdomen.

10. A system for collecting and processing physical space data for use while performing an image-guided surgical (IGS) procedure, the system comprising:

a storage medium for storing a computer model of a portion of an outer surface of a patient based on pre-operative data;

at least one sensor device for generating inter-operative surface data associated with said outer surface of the patient; and

a processing element communicatively coupled to said storage medium and said sensor device, said processing element configured to obtain an alignment of the computer model and inter-operative surface data, the alignment being obtained by the generation of corresponding pseudo-features for the computer model and the intra-operative surface data.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display device communicatively coupled to said processing element and configured to display data for facilitating said IGS procedure based on said alignment.

12. The method of claim 11, further wherein the display comprises a three-dimensional model of a portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the three-dimensional model includes the surface of the patient'"'"'s abdomen, and one or more organs inside the abdomen.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the IGS procedure is a percutaneous procedure.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the storage medium stores a computer model of a non-rigid structure of interest in the patient.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the portion of the outer surface of the patient'"'"'s body comprises the outer surface of the abdomen of the patient.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor device comprises a laser range scanner or an optically or magnetically tracked stylus or instrument.

18. A method, comprising:

generating an intra-procedural image of a portion of an outer surface of a patient from data acquired during a percutaneous surgical procedure, the intra-procedural image including a set of intra-procedural pseudo-features associated with one or more contours on the portion of the outer surface of the patient; and

aligning the intra-procedural image with a computer model of the portion of the outer surface of the patient generated from pre-procedural image data acquired prior to the percutaneous surgical procedure to form an aligned image, the computer model including a set of pseudo-features corresponding to regions on the portion of the outer surface of the patient.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the portion of the outer surface of the patient is an outer surface of the abdomen of the patient.

20. The method of the claim 18, wherein the intra-procedural image is acquired through a laser range scanner, or an optically or magnetically tracked stylus or instrument.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of pseudo-features comprise four quadrants formed by an intersection of a series of points in a superoinferior direction along the patient'"'"'s midline and across the patient'"'"'s abdomen normal to a vertical line intersecting at the navel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of pseudo-features comprises a feature representing an intersection of the four quadrants.

23. The method of claim 18, where in the aligned image includes pre-procedural surface data for one or more internal organs of the patient.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying a three-dimensional model of the aligned image to facilitate the percutaneous surgical procedure.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the three-dimensional model of the aligned image includes a three-dimensional model of a surface of the abdomen of the patient, and one or more organs inside the abdomen.