Method and apparatus for ultrasound guidance of needle biopsies

• US 6,689,067 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Paladini, Gianluca, Sauer, Frank, Khamene, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, William C.
• Application Number:
  US10/304,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407-472, 606/130, 601/2-4
• US Class Current: 600/464
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/366 using projection of images directly onto the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display

Abstract

An ultrasound scanning system having an ultrasound transducer (10) which provides ultrasound images (33), a computer to process the ultrasound information and to render the ultrasound image (33) correctly positioned and scaled for display on a flat panel monitor (29) which has a display size similar to the actual physical size of the ultrasound image (33). A half silvered mirror (30) redirects the image (33) so that the user (32) perceives the image (33) as if it occupied the actual physical location of the structures (34, 35) appearing in the image (33). An illumination (22) unit projects onto a patient (13) a line of light (3) that is within the imaging plane (4) projected by the ultrasound transducer (10) into the patient (13). Alternatively a video camera may be used to display a guide line (15) that is coplanar with the imaging plane (4). A mechanical mount (16) combines the transducer (10), monitor (29), mirror (30), and source of illumination (22) or video camera in a correct geometrical alignment.

Claims

1. A guide for a needle-like instrument comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer that projects a planar ultrasound beam into an ultrasonic imaging plane beneath a surface;

a source of illumination, aligned with the ultrasonic transducer, the source of illumination projecting a light beam onto the surface, the light beam being coplanar with the imaging plane and forming a line of light on the surface that is coincident with the ultrasonic imaging plane; and

a viewing device, causing an image produced by the ultrasonic transducer to appear to be superimposed on the surface while the line of light is visible on the surface.

2. The guide of claim 1, wherein the image appearing on the viewing device is visible to a user of the guide while the user views the actual surface on which the light beam is projected.

3. The guide of claim 2, further comprising means for scaling the image produced by the ultrasonic transducer such that objects appearing in the image appear to have their actual physical dimensions.

4. The guide of claim 3, further comprising a mounting apparatus, the mounting apparatus maintaining required geometric relationships between the source of illumination, the imaging plane and the viewing device.

5. The guide of claim 4, further comprising a handle, a mounting apparatus being affixed to the handle, the handle being adapted to be manipulated by a user of the guide so as to place the ultrasonic transducer in a desired position with respect to the surface.

6. The guide of claim 5, wherein the viewing device further comprises:

a monitor, the monitor displaying the image produced by the ultrasonic transducer; and

a mirror, the mirror redirecting the image to coincide with a line of sight of the user when the user is viewing the surface.

7. The guide of claim 6, wherein the mirror resides in a plane that bisects an angle formed between the imaging plane and a plane in which the monitor resides.

8. The guide of claim 7, wherein the mirror resides in a plane that is equidistant from the imaging plane and the plane in which the monitor resides.

9. The guide of claim 1, wherein the source of illumination is a laser.

10. The guide of claim 9, wherein the laser is rotatable about a lateral axis.

11. The guide of claim 1, wherein the source of illumination is formed as a series of light emitting diodes arranged so as to reside within the imaging plane.

12. The guide of claim 11, wherein the light emitting diodes are arranged in two rows positioned on opposing sides of the ultrasonic transducer.

13. An apparatus for video assisted guidance of a needle-like instrument comprising:

means for projecting a planar ultrasound beam into an ultrasonic imaging plane beneath a surface;

means for creating a video image of the surface;

means for inserting graphic markers on the video image of the surface, the graphic markers being substantially coplanar and coincident with the ultrasonic imaging plane and indicating a line of potential entry points for a needle biopsy; and

means for simultaneously viewing an image produced by the ultrasonic transducer with the video image of the surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the image produced by the ultrasonic transducer is superimposed on the video image of the surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for reorienting the graphic markers appearing in the video image.

16. A method of inserting an instrument into a comprising the steps of:

projecting a planar ultrasound beam into an ultrasonic imaging plane into the body;

projecting a linear beam of light onto a surface of the body such that a line of light is formed on the surface and is coincident with the ultrasonic imaging plane;

deriving image information from the ultrasound transducer;

superimposing derived ultrasonic image information onto a view of the line of light appearing on the surface of the body so as to create a composite image; and

viewing the composite image while inserting instrument into the body.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

moving the ultrasonic transducer on the surface of the body until a desired object is visible in the derived ultrasonic image; and

orienting the ultrasonic transducer such that the line of light appears at a desired location.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

placing an insertable portion of the instrument on a point contained in the line of light appearing on the surface; and

aligning the insertable portion of the instrument with the line of light, thereby insuring that the insertable portion of the instrument is coplanar with the imaging plane.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

tilting the insertable portion of the instrument so that the insertable portion is pointed at the desired object; and

advancing the insertable portion of the instrument toward the desired object.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of aligning the insertable portion of the instrument further comprises the step of:

aligning the instrument with the line of light such that the instrument is illuminated along its length by the linear beam of light.