Apparatus and methods for determining a dimension of a portion of a stack of endoluminal data points

• US 9,101,286 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Tolkowsky, David, Cohen, Ran, Klaiman, Eldad, Steinberg, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Unsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lamprecht, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/098,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/458, 600/424, 600/425, 600/426, 600/427, 382/130, 382/154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• 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 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10121 Fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20101 Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30172 Centreline of tubular or elongated structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described including, while an endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through a lumen, acquiring a plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen using the endoluminal data-acquisition device. The endoluminal data points are displayed in a stack, and are co-registered to respective locations along the lumen in an extraluminal image of the lumen. Based upon the co-registering of the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in the extraluminal image of the lumen, a parameter of a portion of the lumen that corresponds to a portion of the stack of endoluminal data points is determined. An output is generated in response thereto. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an endoluminal data-acquisition device configured to acquire a plurality of endoluminal data points while moving through a lumen of a subject;

a display; and

at least one processor configured;

to generate a stack of the endoluminal data points,

to co-register the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in an extraluminal image of the lumen,

based upon the co-registering of the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in the extraluminal image of the lumen, to determine a parameter of a portion of the lumen that corresponds to a portion of the stack of endoluminal data points, and

to generate an output on the display, in response to the measured parameter.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endoluminal data-acquisition device comprises an endoluminal imaging device that is configured to acquire a plurality of endoluminal images while the endoluminal imaging device is being moved through the lumen, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the stack by generating an endoluminal image stack.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endoluminal data-acquisition device comprises an endoluminal data-acquisition device that is configured to acquire functional data regarding the lumen while the endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through the lumen, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the stack by generating a stack of functional endoluminal data points.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate the stack of endoluminal data points by displaying a stack of indications of the endoluminal data points, locations of the indications within the stack corresponding to relative locations within the lumen at which the endoluminal data points were acquired.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to include in the stack a gap at a location within the stack that corresponds to a location within the lumen at which no endoluminal data point was acquired.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to not include within the stack at least one endoluminal data point that was acquired at a location along the lumen at which another endoluminal data point was acquired.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the parameter of the portion of the lumen that corresponds to the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points by determining a length of the portion of the lumen that corresponds to the portion of the stack.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to drive the display to display the stack of endoluminal data points and to display a length scale in relation to the displayed stack of the endoluminal data points.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive an input from a user that is indicative of the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points, and to designate the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points, in response to the input.

10. A method for use with an endoluminal data-acquisition device configured to acquire endoluminal data points while moving through a lumen of a subject, comprising:

while the endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through the lumen, acquiring a plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen using the endoluminal data-acquisition device;

displaying the endoluminal data points in a stack;

using at least one processor, co-registering the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in an extraluminal image of the lumen;

using the processor, based upon the co-registering of the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in the extraluminal image of the lumen, determining a parameter of a portion of the lumen that corresponds to a portion of the stack of endoluminal data points; and

using the processor, generating an output in response to the determined parameter.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the endoluminal data-acquisition device includes an endoluminal imaging device that is configured to acquire a plurality of endoluminal images while the endoluminal imaging device is being moved through the lumen, wherein acquiring the plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen comprises acquiring a plurality of endoluminal images of the lumen, and wherein displaying the endoluminal data points in the stack comprises displaying an endoluminal image stack.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the endoluminal data-acquisition device includes an endoluminal data-acquisition device that is configured to acquire functional data regarding the lumen while the endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through the lumen, wherein acquiring the plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen comprises acquiring a plurality of functional endoluminal data points regarding the lumen, and wherein displaying the endoluminal data points in the stack comprises displaying the functional endoluminal data points in a stack.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein displaying the endoluminal data points in the stack comprises displaying a stack of indications of the endoluminal data points, locations of the indications within the stack corresponding to relative locations within the lumen at which the endoluminal data points were acquired.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein displaying the endoluminal data points in the stack comprises displaying gaps within the stack at locations corresponding to locations within the lumen at which no endoluminal data points were acquired.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein displaying the endoluminal data points in the stack comprises not displaying within the stack at least one endoluminal data point that was acquired at a location along the lumen at which another endoluminal data point was acquired.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining the parameter of the portion of the lumen that corresponds to the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points comprises determining a length of the portion of the lumen that corresponds to the portion of the stack.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising displaying a length scale in relation to the stack of the endoluminal data points.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving an input from a user that is indicative of the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points, and designating the portion of the stack of endoluminal data points, in response to the input.