ABLATION TREATMENT PLANNING AND DEVICE

• US 20120237105A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Mielekamp, Pieter Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0293 using an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/104 Modelling the effect of the tool, e.g. the effect of an implanted prosthesis or for predicting the effect of ablation or burring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3762 using computed tomography systems [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• 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 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

An ablation treatment planning and, optionally, guiding method usable for e.g. tumour tissue ablation with a cryoablation needle which cools down an adjacent tumour tissue to thereby generate an ablation volume is proposed. In order to be able to plan an ablation treatment, a 3D image data set of a region of interest may be acquired by e.g. X-ray imaging using e.g. a C-arm system. Then, 3D model data of the ablation volume are introduced into the 3D image data set for example by tagging image pixels using a stencil buffer and possibly by culling specific inside areas and/or outside areas of the ablation volume. Finally, a 2D image to be visualized to a physician and comprising a projection of the region of interest and the ablation volume is drawn wherein an MPR (multi planar reformatting) plane in which the 2D image is drawn is used as a clipping plane. With such graphical approach, an ablation volume having any arbitrary shape such as for example an ellipsoid shape may be visualized within a 3D image space by drawing 2D images in any desired MPR plane such that also oblique orientations of the ablation volume can be represented. In a subsequent guiding procedure, an ablation needle may be guided to a location and in an orientation as previously planned.

Claims

1. An ablation treatment planning method, comprising:

(a) acquiring a 3D image data set of a region of interest;

(b) introducing 3D model data of an ablation volume into the 3D image data set;

(c) drawing a 2D image comprising a cross sectional MPR slice of the region of interest and the ablation volume within an MPR plane while using the MPR plane as a clipping plane.

2. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 1,

wherein, in drawing the 2D projection image and the ablation volume, portions of the 3D model data of the ablation volume are tagged through the MPR plane in a stencil buffer and wherein the tagged portions are then blended to a color buffer for subsequent drawing of the 2D image.

3. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 2,

wherein, in a first step, an outside of the ablation volume is culled such that only an inside of the ablation volume is tagged through the MPR plane in the stencil buffer and, in a second step, an inside of the ablation volume is culled such that the outside of the ablation volume is rendered through the MPR plane in the stencil buffer wherein those pixels being part of the outside of the ablation volume and being tagged in the first step are reset before blending to the color buffer.

4. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 2, wherein 3D model data of a plurality of ablation volumes are introduced into the 3D image data set and wherein a plurality of the tagged portions corresponding to the plurality of ablation volumes are blended into the color buffer such that profiles representing the ablation volumes do not overlap.

5. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 1, wherein prior to step (c), a model transformation for scaling, positioning and/or transforming the 3D model data of the ablation volume in a predetermined direction is set up.

6. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 1, wherein the 3D model data represent a spheroid ablation volume having a main symmetry axis corresponding to a center axis of an ablation needle.

7. The ablation treatment planning method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a location, an orientation and a number of ablation volumes is determined according to a user input.

8. An ablation treatment planning and guiding method, comprising planning an ablation volume within a region of interest using at least one 2D image drawn in accordance with the method according to claim 1, wherein a location and orientation of the ablation volume is predetermined by a location and orientation of at least one ablation needle;

guiding at least one ablation needle into the region of interest in accordance with the planned orientation and location.

9. The ablation treatment planning and guiding method of claim 8, wherein the process of guiding the ablation needle is monitored using an X-ray imaging device.

10. The ablation treatment planning and guiding method of claim 9, wherein an entry point of the ablation needle is monitored while the X-ray imaging device is oriented along the planned orientation and wherein a final inserted location of the ablation needle is monitored while the X-ray imaging device is oriented perpendicular to the planned orientation.

11. An ablation treatment planning device adapted for controlling the method according to claim 1.

12. An ablation treatment planning and guiding device adapted for controlling the method according to one of claims 8 to 10.

13. A computer program element adapted for, when executed on a computer, controlling a method according to one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program element according to claim 13.