Automatic online registration between a robot and images

• US 9,984,437 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Thienphrapa, Paul, Ramachandran, Bharat, Popovic, Aleksandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weber, Tamara L
• Application Number:
  US14/342,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20140212025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10136 3D ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/14 Transformations for image registration, e.g. adjusting or mapping for alignment of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A registration system and method includes a configurable device (104) having one or more moveable features (122) such that movement of the moveable features can be determined relative to a reference to define a specific configuration of the configurable device. An imaging system (110) has a display on which the configurable device is viewable. A processing device (112) is configured to register the configurable device with a coordinate system of the imaging system based on the specific configuration of the configurable device.

Claims

1. A registration system, comprising:

a configurable device having one or more moveable features such that movement of the moveable features can be determined relative to a reference to determine a specific configuration of the configurable device;

an imaging system configured to acquire images of the configurable device, said imaging system having a display on which the configurable device is viewable; and

a processing device configured to register the configurable device with a coordinate system of the imaging system based on the specific configuration of the configurable device;

wherein the configurable device includes a robot having at least one link.

2. The registration system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one link is coupled to a joint and further including an encoder configured to measure the movement of the joint.

3. The registration system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one link includes a shape sensing optical fiber and the movement of a shaft is measured using signals from the shape sensing optical fiber.

4. The registration system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one link includes an end portion and the end portion includes at least one marker to designate a position in images of the imaging system.

5. The registration system as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one marker includes a shape or configuration to designate the position or an orientation of the at least one link.

6. The registration system as recited in claim 4, wherein the imaging system includes an ultrasonic system and the at least one marker includes a vibrating mechanism to designate the position or an orientation of the at least one link.

7. The registration system as recited in claim 1, wherein the configurable device includes the robot disposed within a living body and the imaging system includes an ultrasonic system that images a region of interest n the living body.

8. The registration system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to disable the configurable device based on a measured registration error.

9. A registration system, comprising:

a robot having one or more moveable features connected by N joints such that movement of the moveable features relative to a reference defines a specific configuration of the robot;

an ultrasonic imaging system configured to acquire images of the robot, said ultrasonic imaging system having a display on which the robot is viewable; and

a processing device configured to register the robot with a coordinate system of an ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic imaging system based on the specific configuration of the robot.

10. The registration system as recited in claim 9, wherein the N joints are coupled to encoders to measure the movement of a respective joint.