SYSTEM, METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR INTERACTIVE PRE-OPERATIVE ASSESSMENT

• US 20100316268A1
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EDDA Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EDDA Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Fan, Li, Zeng, Xiaolan, Wei, Guo-Qing, Liang, Cheng-Chung, Qian, Jian-Zhong, Yang, Changbo
• Granted Patent: US 9,099,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2012 Colour editing, changing, or manipulating; Use of colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/286 for scanning or photography techniques, e.g. X-rays, ultrasonics

Abstract

A procedure for pre-operating assessment of one or more anatomical structures generated from medical images and provided in a rendered 3D space, and an imaging system, apparatus, and computer program, that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure comprises providing one or more safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space, each having a shape corresponding to that of a respective one of the anatomical structures within an organ and having a predetermined size of safety margin from the respective one of the anatomical structures. The procedure also comprises manipulating at least one of the shape and predetermined size of safety margin of at least one of the safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space, and immediately providing a rendering in the 3D space of a manipulated version of the at least one safety margin indicator. Also provided is a procedure for defining at least one cutting surface to resect one or more medical anatomical structures using an imaging system.

Claims

1. A procedure for pre-operating assessment of one or more anatomical structures generated from medical images and provided in a rendered 3D space, comprising:

providing one or more safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space, each having a shape corresponding to that of a respective one of the anatomical structures within an organ and having a predetermined size of safety margin from the respective one of the anatomical structures;

manipulating at least one of the shape and predetermined size of safety margin of at least one of the safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space; and

immediately providing a rendering in the 3D space of a manipulated version of the at least one safety margin indicator.

2. A procedure according to claim 1, wherein the safety margin indicator is provided in a 2D view on the medical images, rendered in its original form or processed form, and in a 3D view.

3. A procedure according to claim 1, wherein the manipulating includes adjusting at least one of the shape and location of the at least one safety margin indicator.

4. A procedure according to claim 1, further comprising providing at least one numerical dimension of the safety margin indicator.

5. A procedure according to claim 1, further comprising changing at least one of a color and an appearance of a 3D rendering of at least one of the anatomical structures.

6. A procedure according to claim 1, wherein the manipulating is performed via a user interface.

7. A procedure according to claim 1, further comprising masking from the organ at least one of the anatomical structures and other intra-organ anatomical structures using an associated one or more of the safety margin indicators.

8. A procedure according to claim 7, further comprising providing an indicator of a quantified measurement of at least one of the organ and a remnant organ.

9. A procedure according to claim 1, further comprising providing an indicator of at least one of a distance between at least two of the safety margin indicators and a distance between at least one of the safety margin indicators and at least one of the anatomical structures within the organ.

10. A procedure for defining at least one cutting surface to resect one or more medical anatomical structures using an imaging system, the procedure comprising:

forming at least one cutting surface in one of a 2D view and a 3D view of a rendered 3D space in the imaging system;

automatically providing a 3D rendering or a 2D rendering, respectively, of the at least one cutting surface;

interactively manipulating the at least one cutting surface to adjust at least one of its orientation, shape, and location, using graphical handlers attached to the at least one cutting surface in the rendered 3D space; and

immediately providing a rendering in the 3D space of a manipulated version of the at least one cutting surface.

11. A procedure according to claim 10, further comprising identifying corresponding parts of the anatomical structures between the 2D and 3D views.

12. A procedure according to claim 10, wherein the forming is performed using at least one of a plane and a template with the graphical handlers.

13. A procedure according to claim 12, wherein the interactively manipulating includes interactively manipulating at least one of the plane and template via the graphical handlers.

14. A procedure according to claim 13, wherein the interactively manipulating is performed by way of a user interface.

15. A procedure according to claim 10, wherein the forming forms the at least one cutting surface in at least one of the anatomical structures.

16. A procedure according to claim 15, further comprising varying an orientation of the at least one anatomical structure, wherein the forming forms the at least one cutting surface in the at least one anatomical structure, for each orientation.

17. A procedure according to claim 10, wherein the at least one cutting surface is defined by a safety margin indicator.

18. A procedure according to claim 17, further comprising separating at least one of the anatomical structures into at least two parts, along the at least one cutting surface.

19. A procedure according to claim 18, further comprising re-coupling the at least two parts of the at least one anatomical structure.

20. A procedure according to claim 18, further comprising changing at least one of a color and an appearance of at least one of the parts.

21. A procedure according to claim 18, further comprising separating into separate portions, sub-structures located in an interior of the at least one anatomical structure.

22. A procedure according to claim 21, further comprising providing an indicator of at least one dimensional characteristic of at least one of the sub-structures.

23. A procedure according to claim 22, wherein the dimensional characteristic includes a diameter of a cross section of the at least one sub-structure.

24. A procedure according to claim 23, further comprising interactively selecting the cross section at a location along the at least one sub-structure.

25. A procedure according to claim 24, further comprising rotating at least one of an indicator of the diameter and the at least one sub-structure in response to the selecting.

26. A procedure according to claim 10, further comprising removing at least one piece from at least one of the anatomical structures, based on the at least one cutting surface.

27. A procedure according to claim 26, further comprising presenting the at least one piece and a remaining portion of the at least one anatomical structure in the rendered 3D space.

28. A procedure according to claim 27, wherein the removing also removes at least part of at least one sub-anatomical structure from the at least one anatomical structure, and wherein the procedure further comprises presenting the part of the at least one sub-anatomical structure in the rendered 3D space.

29. A procedure according to claim 10, further comprising providing an interactive quantification of a cross section of at least one of the anatomical structures, along the at least one cutting surface.

30. A procedure according to claim 10, further comprising providing a volume of at least one of the anatomical structures.

31. An imaging system for performing pre-operative assessment of one or more anatomical structures generated from medical images and provided in a rendered 3D space, comprising:

an output user interface arranged to provide one or more safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space, each having a shape corresponding to that of a respective one of the anatomical structures within an organ and having a predetermined size of safety margin from the respective one of the anatomical structures; and

at least one computer processor, operable to manipulate at least one of the shape and predetermined size of safety margin of at least one of the safety margin indicators in the rendered 3D space, and immediately provide a rendering in the 3D space of a manipulated version of the at least one safety margin indicator.

32. An imaging system according to claim 31, wherein the output user interface provides the safety margin indicator in a 2D view on the medical images, rendered in its original or processed form, and in a 3D view.

33. An imaging system according to claim 31, wherein the at least one computer processor is operable to adjust at least one of the shape and location of the at least one safety margin indicator.

34. An imaging system according to claim 31, wherein the at least one computer processor also is operable to change at least one of a color and an appearance of a 3D rendering of the at least one of the safety margin indicators.

35. An imaging system according to claim 31, further comprising an input user interface operable to control the at least one computer processor to manipulate the at least one safety margin indicator.

36. An imaging system for defining at least one cutting surface to resect one or more anatomical structures, comprising:

an output user interface arranged to present at least one of a 2D view and a 3D view of a rendered 3D space in the imaging system; and

at least one computer processor, operable to

     1) form at least one cutting surface in at least one of the 2D view and the 3D view,

     2) automatically provide a 3D rendering or a 2D rendering, respectively, of the at least one cutting surface by way of the output user interface,

     3) interactively manipulate the at least one cutting surface to adjust at least one of its orientation, shape, and location, using graphical handlers attached to the cutting surface in the rendered 3D space, and

     4) immediately provide, by way of the output user interface, a rendering in the 3D space of a manipulated version of the at least one cutting surface.

37. An imaging system according to claim 36, further comprising an input interface operable to control the at least one computer processor to form the at least one cutting surface.

38. An imaging system according to claim 36, wherein the input user interface also is operable to identify corresponding parts of the anatomical structures between the 2D and 3D views.

39. An imaging system according to claim 36, further comprising at least one of a plane and a template with the graphical handlers, presented by the output user interface and defining the at least one cutting surface.

40. An imaging system according to claim 39, wherein the input user interface is also operable to control the computer processor to manipulate the at least one of the plane and template via the graphical handlers.

41. An imaging system according to claim 36, wherein the at least one cutting surface is formed in an anatomical structure.

42. An imaging system according to claim 41, wherein the computer processor also is operable to vary an orientation of the at least one anatomical structure, and to form the at least one cutting surface in the at least one anatomical structure, for each orientation.

43. An imaging system according to claim 41, wherein the computer processor also is operable to separate the at least one anatomical structure into at least two parts, along the at least one cutting surface.

44. An imaging system according to claim 43, wherein the computer processor also is operable to change at least one of a color and an appearance of at least one of the parts.

45. An imaging system according to claim 43, wherein the computer processor also is operable to separate into portions, sub-structures located in an interior of the at least one anatomical structure.

46. An imaging system according to claim 45, wherein the computer processor further is operable to determine a diameter of a cross section of at least one of the sub-structures.

47. An imaging system according to claim 46, further comprising an input user interface, operable to control the at least one computer processor to interactively select the cross section at a location along the at least one sub-structure.

48. An imaging system according to claim 36, wherein the computer processor also is operable to provide an interactive quantification of a cross section of at least one of the anatomical structures, along the at least one cutting surface.