Imaging system and methods displaying a fused multidimensional reconstructed image

• US 10,740,933 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2018
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Inventors: Tripathi, Ashok Burton, Polchin, George Charles, Ng, Yen Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Akhavannik, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US16/030,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20180322666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/026 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/745 using a holographic display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 : Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 : Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 : Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30016 : Brain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 : Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 : Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 : Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/62 : Semi-transparency
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2211/40 : Computed tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 : Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 : Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 : Denoising; Smoothing
• 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 30/40 : for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 : using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 : Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for displaying a fused reconstructed image with a multidimensional image are disclosed. An example imaging system receives a selection corresponding to a portion of a displayed multidimensional visualization of a surgical site. At the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization, the imaging system displays a portion of at least one of a three-dimensional image or model which corresponds to the selected multidimensional visualization such that the displayed portion of the at least one of the three-dimensional image or model is fused with the displayed multidimensional visualization.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

at least one photosensor configured to record a visualization of a surgical site;

a visualization generation system configured to create a multidimensional visualization based on the recorded visualization of the surgical site;

an interface configured to receive image data of the surgical site from at least one of a medical device or a server that stores the image data from a medical device;

a processor communicatively coupled to a display device and a memory, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

create a three-dimensional image or model based on the image data,

display the multidimensional visualization of the surgical site,

receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site,

select a portion of the three-dimensional image or model that corresponds to the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization,

combine the portion of the three-dimensional image or model with the multidimensional visualization, and

cause the display device to display the portion of the three-dimensional image or model in addition to the multidimensional visualization.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the image data includes at least one of pre-operative image data, perioperative image data, or intra-operative image data.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to create the three-dimensional image or model using vector-based or feature based construction to create outlines of objects located within sequential pre-operative image slices of the image data.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to create the three-dimensional image or model based on volumetric information of the image data,

wherein the volumetric information includes values defining an image at each point in a coordinate plane.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein the values of the volumetric information include at least one of density values or intensity values.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to create the three-dimensional image or model by using the at least one of the density values or intensity values to define a tissue.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the image data includes data from at least one of a computed tomography (“

CT”

) scan, a computed tomography angiography (“

CT-A”

) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (“

MRI”

) scan, or a positron emission tomography (“

PET”

) scan.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least one of fuse, merge, blend, join, and integrate the portion of the three-dimensional image or model with the multidimensional visualization at the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization.

9. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select the portion of the three-dimensional image or model by:

determining at least one of an orientation and coordinates of the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization;

determining at least one of a corresponding orientation and coordinates of the three-dimensional image or model; and

selecting the portion of the three-dimensional image or model that is associated with the at least one of the corresponding orientation and coordinates.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to combine the portion of the three-dimensional image or model with the multidimensional visualization by:

identifying at least one of a feature, a structure, and an object inside of or within proximity of the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization;

identifying at least one of a corresponding feature, structure, and object within the three-dimensional image or model; and

aligning the portion of the three-dimensional image or model with the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization such that the at least one identified feature, structure, and object of the multidimensional visualization is aligned with the at least one corresponding identified feature, structure, and object of the three-dimensional image or model.

11. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the feature, structure, and object includes at least one of brain tissue, a blood vessel, a tumor, bone tissue, muscle tissue, and a marker.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a visualization generation system configured to create a multidimensional visualization based on a recorded visualization of a surgical site;

an interface configured to receive image data of the surgical site from at least one of a medical device or a server that stores the image data from a medical device;

a processor communicatively coupled to a display device and a memory, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

create a reconstructed image based on the image data,

display the multidimensional visualization of the surgical site,

receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site,

select a portion of the reconstructed image that corresponds to the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization,

combine the portion of the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization, and

cause the display device to display the portion of the reconstructed image in addition to the multidimensional visualization.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reconstructed image includes a three-dimensional image or model and the image data includes two-dimensional image slices.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to create the three-dimensional image or model by:

determining a sequence of the two-dimensional image slices;

identifying a common structure between the image slices; and

forming corresponding three dimensional shapes based on the identified common structure.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

create the reconstructed image at a first time before the visualization of the surgical site is recorded; and

display the multidimensional visualization of the surgical site at a second time after the visualization of the surgical site is recorded.

16. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to combine the portion of the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization by integrating, within a video signal, the portion of the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization at the selected portion.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to combine the portion of the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization by adjusting a visual property of at least one of the multidimensional visualization and the portion of the reconstructed image so as to make the multidimensional visualization merge or fuse with the portion of the reconstructed image.

18. The imaging apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to adjust the visual property by at least one of:

(a) increasing a transparency of the selected portion of a multidimensional visualization so that the portion of the reconstructed image replaces the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization;

(b) adjusting a contrast around edges or fringes of at least one of the selected portion of a multidimensional visualization and the portion of the reconstructed image;

(c) adjusting a focus around edges or fringes of at least one of the selected portion of a multidimensional visualization and the portion of the reconstructed image; and

(d) applying a spline function around edges or fringes of at least one of the selected portion of a multidimensional visualization and the portion of the reconstructed image.

19. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to combine the portion of the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization by:

identifying a target structure within the multidimensional visualization;

identifying the same target structure within the reconstructed image;

aligning the reconstructed image with the multidimensional visualization such that the target structure within the multidimensional visualization is aligned with the target structure within the reconstructed image; and

identifying the portion of the reconstructed image that is located at a same location as the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization.

20. The imaging apparatus of claim 19, wherein the target structure includes a marked screw and is registered intra-operatively using an 0-arm or C-arm imaging device.

21. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization is represented as a window.

22. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory includes additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit an instruction to the display device specifying a location of the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization to which the portion of the reconstructed image is to be superimposed as a graphic.