PATHWAY PLANNING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140270441A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Baker, Matt W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations

Abstract

A system and method for planning a pathway through an anatomical luminal network of a patient including memory storing a computer program configured to analyze and manipulate CT images, a processor configured to execute the computer program, and a display device configured to display a user interface of the computer program. The user interface includes a CT image window configured to display a slice of CT image data, a localizer window configured to display an image of at least one lung, the localizer window including a localizer configured to identify a location of the displayed slice relative to the at least one lung, and a target selection element configured to select a target from a displayed slice of CT image data in response to a user input.

Claims

1. A system for planning a pathway through an anatomical luminal network of a patient, the system comprising:

memory storing a computer program configured to analyze and manipulate CT images;

a processor configured to execute the computer program; and

a display device configured to display a user interface of the computer program, the user interface comprising;

a CT image window configured to display a slice of CT image data;

a localizer window configured to display an image of at least one lung, the localizer window including a localizer configured to identify a location of the displayed slice relative to the at least one lung; and

a target selection element configured to select a target from a displayed slice of CT image data in response to a user input.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CT image window is configured to display at least one other slice of the CT image data in response to a user input and the localizer is configured to move relative to the image of the at least one lung to identify a location of the displayed at least one other slice relative to the at least one lung.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the CT image window is configured to sequentially display slices of the CT image data in response to the user input.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CT image window is configured to display the slice of the CT image data from one of the axial, coronal and sagittal directions.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the localizer window is configured to display an image of the at least one lung from one of the axial, coronal and sagittal directions.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image of the at least one lung is a fluoroscopy-like image.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to display an edit target window including an CT slice from each of the Axial, Coronal and Sagittal directions, each CT slice configured to display a target sizing element positioned over the target and resizable in response to a user input.

8. A method for planning a pathway through an anatomical luminal network of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first slice of CT image data in a CT image window;

displaying an image of at least one lung in a localizer window;

setting a location element of the localizer window on the image of at least one lung at a first location corresponding to the location of the first slice relative to the at least one lung;

receiving a user input;

displaying a second slice of CT image data in the CT image window in response to the user input; and

setting the location element of the localizer window on the image of the at least one lung at a second location corresponding to the location of the second slice relative to the at least one lung.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the CT image window sequentially displays slices of the CT image data in response to the user input.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input identifying a target on at least one of the first slice or the second slice; and

setting the target as a target for pathway planning in response to the user input.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein setting the target includes positioning a target selection element over the target.

12. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising the step of:

displaying a slice of the CT image data from each of the Axial, Coronal and Sagittal directions, each slice including the target thereon and a resizable target sizing element disposed over the target.

13. The method according to claim 12, the method further comprising the step of resizing the target sizing element in one or more of the displayed Axial, Coronal and Sagittal slices in response to a user input.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the user input is selected from the group consisting of manipulating a portion of the target sizing element in at least one of the displayed Axial, Coronal, and Sagittal slices and inputting dimension variables.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the CT image window sequentially displays slices of the CT image data in response to the user input.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, further performing the steps of:

receiving a user input identifying a target on at least one of the first slice or the second slice; and

setting the target as a target for pathway planning in response to the user input.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein setting the target includes positioning a target selection element over the target.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 further performing the step of displaying a slice of the CT image data from each of the Axial, Coronal and Sagittal directions, each slice including the target thereon and a resizable target sizing element disposed over the target.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, further performing the step resizing the target sizing element in one or more of the displayed Axial, Coronal and Sagittal slices in response to the user input.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a program that, when executed by a processor causes a user interface to perform the steps of:

displaying a first slice of CT image data in a CT image window;

displaying an image of at least one lung in a localizer window;

setting a location element of the localizer window on the image of at least one lung at a first location corresponding to the location of the first slice relative to the at least one lung;

receiving a user input;

displaying a second slice of CT image data in the CT image window in response to the user input; and

setting the location element of the localizer window on the image of the at least one lung at a second location corresponding to the location of the second slice relative to the at least one lung.