Listing instances of a body-insertable device being proximate to target regions of interest

• US 9,483,678 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modulated Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Lieberman, Erez, Rivet, Dennis J., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haque, M D
• Application Number:
  US13/200,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5241 combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5253 combining overlapping images, e.g. spatial compounding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30028 Colon; Small intestine
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A described system includes a feature matching circuit that determines a correspondence between a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a body part of an individual patient and a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the individual patient body part. The present-location landmark subsurface feature has a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient. The candidate reference landmark subsurface feature has a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of at least two selected target regions of interest. An event data circuit generates data indicative of a proximity event that includes the distal end portion of a body-insertable device being proximate to the particular target region of interest. A list management circuit adds the proximity event to a proximity event list. A computer-readable media maintains informational data corresponding to the proximity event list.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

(a) a feature matching circuit configured to determine a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of an individual patient body part of an individual patient, the present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen including a subsurface vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface blood vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface vascular structure of the cavity or lumen, or a subsurface pattern presented by one or more blood vessel of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the cavity or lumen including an interior surface defining an interior thereof, and the present-location landmark subsurface feature is below the interior surface, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part;

(b) an event data circuit configured to generate data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location proximate to the particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence;

(c) a list management circuit configured to add the proximity event to a proximity event list for the individual patient body part;

(d) a non-transitory computer-readable media configured to maintain informational data corresponding to the proximity event list for the individual patient body part; and

(e) a communication circuit configured to output the informational data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature matching circuit includes:

a feature matching circuit configured to determine a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the cavity or lumen of the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular target region of interest of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient includes:

an operative distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient includes:

a moveable distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient includes:

an effector carried on a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first spatial relationship includes a distance of less than about six centimeters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first spatial relationship includes a distance of less than about one centimeter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first spatial relationship includes a distance of less than about twenty-five millimeters.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part is selected from a patient examination table that includes the at least two reference landmark subsurface features of the individual patient body part, each candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the at least two candidate reference landmark subsurface features having a respective spatial relationship to a respective particular selected target region of interest.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the patient examination table is at least partially based on a colonoscopy of the individual patient.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the patient examination table is at least partially based on a subsurface feature atlas configured for the individual patient.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity indicator circuit configured to generate a proximity indication if the first spatial relationship is not greater than an operational reach of the distal end portion of the body-insertable device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the event data circuit includes:

an event data circuit configured to generate data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence and on the proximity indication.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver circuit configured to receive data indicative of an activity or action performed proximate to the present-location landmark subsurface feature.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an event data circuit configured to (i) generate data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence and on the proximity indication, and (ii) associate with the data indicative of a proximity event the data indicative of an activity or action performed proximate to the present-location landmark subsurface feature.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver circuit configured to receive a first reference image that includes the present-location landmark subsurface of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver circuit configured to receive a second reference image that includes the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit includes:

a communication circuit configured to provide a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device configured to display a human-perceivable depiction of the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the event data circuit is configured to generate data indicative of a proximity event only if there is substantial correspondence between the present location-landmark subsurface feature and the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature.

20. A method implemented with a computing device, the method comprising:

(a) with the computing device, determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of an individual patient body part of an individual patient, the present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen including a subsurface vessel, subsurface blood vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface vascular structure of the cavity or lumen, or a subsurface pattern presented by one or more blood vessel of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the cavity or lumen including an interior surface defining an interior thereof, and the present-location landmark subsurface feature is below the interior surface, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part;

(b) with the computing device, generating a proximity indication if the first spatial relationship is not greater than an operational reach of the distal end portion of the body-insertable device;

(c) with the computing device, generating data indicative of a proximity, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence and on the proximity indication;

(d) with the computing device, adding the proximity event to a proximity event list for the individual patient body part; and

(e) with the computing device, outputting informational data corresponding to the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

(f) maintaining the informational data in a computer-readable media.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining a substantial correspondence includes:

(a) determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of a body part of an individual patient, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature selected from a patient examination table that includes the at least two reference landmark subsurface features of the individual patient body part, each candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the at least two candidate reference landmark subsurface features having a respective spatial relationship to a respective particular selected target region of interest.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving the patient examination table.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first spatial relationship includes a distance of less than about three centimeters.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first spatial relationship includes a distance of less than about fifty millimeters.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a first digital image that includes the present-location landmark subsurface of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a second digital image that includes the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving data indicative of an activity or action performed proximate to the present-location landmark subsurface feature.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the generating data indicative of a proximity event includes:

generating data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence and on the proximity indication, and associating with the data indicative of the proximity event the data indicative of an activity or action performed proximate to the present-location landmark subsurface feature.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

outputting a signal usable in displaying a human-perceivable depiction of the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transforming the informational data corresponding to the proximity event list for the individual patient body part into a signal usable in displaying a particular visual indication of the proximity event list.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

displaying a human-perceivable indication of the proximity event list.

42. The method of claim 20, wherein generating a proximity indication includes generating a proximity indication only if the first spatial relationship is not greater than an operational reach of the distal end portion of the body-insertable device;

and

wherein generating data indicative of a proximity event includes generating data indicative of a proximity event only if there is substantial correspondence between the present location-landmark subsurface feature and the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature.

34. A computer program product comprising:

(a) a non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a process including;

(i) determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of an individual patient body part of an individual patient, the present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen including a subsurface vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface blood vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface vascular structure of the cavity or lumen, or a subsurface pattern presented by one or more blood vessel of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the cavity or lumen including an interior surface defining an interior thereof, and the present-location landmark subsurface feature is below the interior surface, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part;

(ii) generating a proximity indication if the first spatial relationship is not greater than an operational reach of the distal end portion of the body-insertable device;

(iii) generating data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence and on the proximity indication;

(iv) adding the proximity event to a proximity event list for the individual patient body part; and

(v) storing, in another non-transitory computer-readable medium operably coupled with the processor, informational data corresponding to the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the determining includes:

(i) determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of a body part of an individual patient body part, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature selected from a patient examination table that includes the at least two reference landmark subsurface features of the individual patient body part, each candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the at least two candidate reference landmark subsurface features having a respective spatial relationship to a respective particular selected target region of interest.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the process further includes:

outputting the informational data.

37. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the process further includes:

transforming the informational data into a signal usable in providing a particular visual depiction of the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the process further includes:

providing a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

39. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium.

43. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein generating a proximity indication includes generating a proximity indication only if the first spatial relationship is not greater than an operational reach of the distal end portion of the body-insertable device;

and

wherein generating data indicative of a proximity event includes generating data indicative of a proximity event only if there is substantial correspondence between the present location-landmark subsurface feature and the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature.

40. A system comprising:

(a) means for determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of an individual patient body part of an individual patient, the present-location landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen including a subsurface vessel, subsurface blood vessel of the cavity or lumen, subsurface vascular structure of the cavity or lumen, or a subsurface pattern presented by one or more blood vessel of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the cavity or lumen including an interior surface defining an interior thereof, and the present-location landmark subsurface feature is below the interior surface, the present-location landmark subsurface feature having a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient, and

(y) a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the cavity or lumen of the individual patient body part, the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature having a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of the individual patient body part of at least two selected target regions of interest of the individual patient body part;

(b) means for generating data indicative of a proximity event, the proximity event including the distal end portion of the body-insertable device present at a location operationally proximate to the particular target region of interest of the individual patient body part, the proximity event at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence;

(c) means for adding the proximity event to a proximity event list for the individual patient body part; and

(d) means for outputting the informational data corresponding to the proximity event list for the individual patient body part.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the means for generating data indicative of a proximity event includes means for generating data indicative of a proximity event only if there is substantial correspondence between the present location-landmark subsurface feature and the candidate reference landmark subsurface feature.