Head modeling for a therapeutic or diagnostic procedure

• US 9,792,406 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuronetics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neuronetics, Inc.
• Inventors: Mainkar, Neeraj, Pillutla, Ravi, Ghiron, Kenneth Marc, Riehl, Mark Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalalee, Sultana M
• Application Number:
  US14/618,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/44 Morphing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• 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 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A model of a human subject'"'"'s head may be generated to assist in a therapeutic and/or diagnostic procedure. A treatment and/or diagnostic system may generate a fitted head model using a predetermined head model and a plurality of points. The plurality of points may include facial feature information and may be determined using a sensor, which may include an IR sensor. One or more anatomical landmarks may be determined and registered in association with the fitted head model using the facial feature information, for example, without the use of additional image information, such as an MRI image. The fitted head model may include visual aids, for example, anatomical landmarks, reference points, marking of the human subject'"'"'s MT location, and/or marking of the human subject'"'"'s treatment location. The visual aids may assist a technician to perform the therapeutic and/or diagnostic procedure of the human subject. The fitted head model may be stored.

Claims

1. A method for creating a digital three-dimensional reconstruction of a human subject'"'"'s head, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of points associated with the human subject'"'"'s head using an infrared sensor and without the use of additional image information, wherein a subset of the plurality of points comprise facial feature information;

determining that one or more points of the plurality of points are associated with the human subject'"'"'s hair;

generating a fitted head model using a predetermined head model and a subset of the plurality of points that are not associated with the human subject'"'"'s hair;

determining a location of one or more anatomical landmarks on the fitted head model using the facial feature information;

determining a treatment location or a reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on the fitted head model based on the one or more anatomical landmarks and without the use of additional image information, wherein the treatment location corresponds to an anatomical region within a human brain and is associated with a neuropsychiatric disorder; and

performing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitted head model is generated using a cubic spline method.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the facial feature information comprises information relating to a location of one or more facial features of the human subject, and wherein a facial feature comprises a nose, an eye, an ear, or a mouth of the human subject.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the predetermined head model or the fitted head model comprises an electroencephalogram 10-20 coordinate grid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitted head model has a smooth surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical landmark comprises a nasion, an inion, a lateral canthus, an external auditory meatus, or a preauricular point of the human subject.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on a display device to assist in performing TMS.

8. A system for creating a digital three-dimensional reconstruction of a human subject'"'"'s head, the system comprising:

an infrared sensor; and

a processor configured to;

determine a plurality of points associated with the human subject'"'"'s head using the infrared sensor and without the use of additional image information, wherein the plurality of points are devoid of information relating to the human subject'"'"'s hair, and wherein a subset of the plurality of points comprise facial feature information;

generate a fitted head model using a predetermined head model and the plurality of points such that the fitted head model is devoid of information relating to the human subject'"'"'s hair;

determine a location of one or more anatomical landmarks on the fitted head model using the facial feature information;

determine a treatment location or a reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on the fitted head model based on the one or more anatomical landmarks and without the use of additional image information, wherein the treatment location corresponds to an anatomical region within a human brain and is associated with a neuropsychiatric disorder; and

perform transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to generate the fitted head model using a cubic spline method.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the facial feature information comprises information relating to a location of one or more facial features of the human subject, and wherein a facial feature comprises a nose, an eye, an ear, or a mouth of the human subject.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine the plurality of points using the infrared sensor and without the use of an indicator tool.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to morph the predetermined head model to the plurality of points to generate the fitted head model.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein one or more of the predetermined head model or the fitted head model comprises an electroencephalogram 10-20 coordinate grid.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the fitted head model has a smooth surface.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that one or more points of the plurality of points are associated with rippling of the human subject'"'"'s skin, loss of a facial feature, or asymmetric lump, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the fitted head model without the use of the one or more points associated with the rippling of the human subject'"'"'s skin, loss of a facial feature, or asymmetric lump.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the anatomical landmark comprises a nasion, an inion, a lateral canthus, an external auditory meatus, or a preauricular point of the human subject.

17. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display device, wherein the processor is further configured to display the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on the display device to assist in performing TMS.

18. A method for creating a digital three-dimensional reconstruction of a human subject'"'"'s head, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of points associated with the human subject'"'"'s head using an infrared sensor and without the use of additional image information by moving a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil around the human subject'"'"'s head such that the plurality of points are devoid of information relating to the human subject'"'"'s hair, wherein a subset of the plurality of points comprise facial feature information, and wherein the infrared sensor is configured to determine the location of the TMS coil;

generating a fitted head model using a predetermined head model and the plurality of points, such that the fitted head model is devoid of information relating to the human subject'"'"'s hair;

determining a location of one or more anatomical landmarks on the fitted head model using the facial feature information;

determining a treatment location or a reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on the fitted head model based on the one or more anatomical landmarks and without the use of additional image information, wherein the treatment location corresponds to an anatomical region within a human brain and is associated with a neuropsychiatric disorder;

and performing TMS using the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fitted head model is generated using a cubic spline method.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the facial feature information comprises information relating to a location of one or more facial features of the human subject, and wherein a facial feature comprises a nose, an eye, an ear, or a mouth of the human subject.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein one or more of the predetermined head model or the fitted head model comprises an electroencephalogram 10-20 coordinate grid.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the fitted head model has a smooth surface.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the anatomical landmark comprises a nasion, an inion, a lateral canthus, an external auditory meatus, or a preauricular point of the human subject.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying the fitted head model and the treatment location or the reference point that is used to determine the treatment location on a display device to assist in performing TMS.