System and method for image guidance during medical procedures

• US 8,812,077 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viewray Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Viewray Incorporated
• Inventors: Dempsey, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US13/333,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 600/411, 600/414, 600/439, 600/443, 335/216
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1045 using a multi-leaf collimator, e.g. for intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1067 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3806 Open magnet assemblies for improved access to the sample, e.g. C-type or U-type magnets
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4808 Multimodal MR, e.g. MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET], MR combined with ultrasound or MR combined with computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

A surgical guidance system is disclosed that allows for real-time imaging and patient monitoring during a surgical procedure. The system can include an MRI system for generating real-time images of the patient while surgery is being performed. Prior to surgery, a surgical plan can be created using a planning interface. A control unit receives the real-time image data and the surgical plan, and monitors the image data based on parameters included in the surgical plan. The control-unit monitoring occurs in real-time while the surgical procedure is being performed. The control unit can detect deviations from the surgical plan and/or high-risk patient conditions and instruct an alert unit to issue an alert based on the detected conditions.

Claims

1. A surgical guidance system, comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system configured for generating MRI data representative of a portion of a patient;

a planning interface for generating a surgical plan based at least in part on pre-surgical images and input information regarding surgical parameters for a surgical procedure, the surgical parameters including one or more position based parameters and one or more non-position based parameters;

a control unit for receiving image data based on the MRI data acquired during the surgical procedure and for monitoring the image data for conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan; and

an alert unit for issuing an alert based on instructions from the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the alert unit to issue the alert based on detecting at least one of the conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan.

2. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, wherein the MRI includes first and second main magnets separated by a gap.

3. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, wherein the MRI is configured such that images are captured substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

4. The surgical guidance system of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to employ the image data for monitoring a patient'"'"'s response to the surgical procedure substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

5. The surgical guidance system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring of the patient'"'"'s response to the surgical procedure includes monitoring changes to a patient'"'"'s anatomy substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

6. The surgical guidance system of claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the alert unit to issue the alert during the surgical procedure based on detecting at least one condition associated with the changes to the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

7. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, further comprising a tracking unit for tracking a surgical instrument used for performing the surgical procedure.

8. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, further comprising a tracking unit for tracking a surgical robotic device performing the surgical procedure.

9. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, wherein the alert unit is configured to issue the alert in the form of at least one of visual information and audible information.

10. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit for receiving the MRI data from the MRI system and generating the image data based on the MRI data.

11. The surgical guidance system of claim 10, wherein the MRI system is configured for:

obtaining MRI data representative of a first quality of images before the start of the surgical procedure; and

obtaining MRI data representative of a second quality of images during substantially simultaneous performance of the surgical procedure, the second quality being lower than the first quality.

12. The surgical guidance system of claim 11, wherein the image processing unit is configured for generating image data representative of volumetric images from MRI data generated during the obtaining of MRI data representative of the second quality of images, and

wherein the generating of the image data representative of volumetric images includes using deformable image registration.

13. The surgical guidance system of claim 10, wherein the image processing unit is configured for generating image data representative of volumetric images based on the MRI data received from the MRI system.

14. The surgical guidance system of claim 13, wherein the image processing unit is configured for generating the image data representative of volumetric images using deformable image registration.

15. The surgical guidance system of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-position based parameters include an extent of allowable penetration into an organ, an allowable volume of tissue to be resected, an allowable amount of organ motion, and an allowable amount of blood pooling.

16. A surgical guidance system, comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system configured for generating MRI data representative of a portion of a patient substantially simultaneously with performance of a surgical procedure on the patient;

a control unit for receiving image data representative of volumetric images based on the MRI data acquired during the surgical procedure and for monitoring the image data for predetermined conditions, the predetermined conditions associated with one or more position based parameters and one or more non-position based parameters; and

an alert unit for issuing an alert based on instructions from the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the alert unit to issue the alert based on detecting at least one of the predetermined conditions.

17. The surgical guidance system of claim 16, further comprising a planning interface for receiving at least one of the predetermined conditions.

18. The surgical guidance system of claim 16, wherein the MRI is configured such that MRI data is captured substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

19. The surgical guidance system of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to employ the image data for monitoring a patient'"'"'s response to the surgical procedure substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

20. The surgical guidance system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring of the patient'"'"'s response to the surgical procedure includes monitoring changes to a patient'"'"'s anatomy substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

21. The surgical guidance system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the alert unit to issue the alert during the surgical procedure based on detecting at least one condition associated with the changes to the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

22. The surgical guidance system of claim 16, further comprising an image processing unit for receiving the MRI data from the MRI system and generating the image data representative of the volumetric images based on the MRI data.

23. The surgical guidance system of claim 22, wherein the MRI system is configured for:

obtaining MRI data representative of a first quality of images before the start of the surgical procedure; and

obtaining MRI data representative of a second quality of images during substantially simultaneous performance of the surgical procedure, the second quality being lower than the first quality.

24. The surgical guidance system of claim 23, wherein the image processing unit is configured for generating the image data representative of volumetric images from MRI data generated during the obtaining of MRI data representative of the second quality of images, and

wherein the generating of the image data representative of volumetric images includes using deformable image registration.

25. A surgical guidance method, comprising:

generating MRI data representative of a portion of a patient;

generating image data based on the MRI data;

generating a surgical plan based at least in part on pre-surgical images and input information regarding surgical parameters for a surgical procedure, the surgical parameters including one or more position based parameters and one or more non-position based parameters;

monitoring the image data for conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan; and

issuing an alert based on detecting at least one of the conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan.

26. The surgical guidance method of claim 25, wherein the image data is representative of volumetric images based on the MRI data.

27. The surgical guidance method of claim 26, wherein the MRI data is captured substantially simultaneously with performance of a surgical procedure.

28. The surgical guidance method of claim 27, wherein the image data is monitored for a patient'"'"'s response to the surgical procedure substantially simultaneously with performance of the surgical procedure.

29. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage device storing computer instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

generating MRI data representative of a portion of a patient;

generating image data based on the MRI data;

generating a surgical plan based at least in part on pre-surgical images and input information regarding surgical parameters for a surgical procedure, the surgical parameters including one or more position based parameters and one or more non-position based parameters;

monitoring the image data for conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan; and

issuing an alert based on detecting at least one of the conditions included in the surgical parameters of the surgical plan.