Dedicated user interface for MR-guided interstitial interventions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939876-B2
Application number	US-201314408342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A magnetic resonance (MR) system (10) for guidance of a shaft or needle (16) to a target (14) of a subject (12) is provided. The system includes a user interface (76). The user interface (76) includes a frame (78) positioned on a surface of the subject (12). The frame (78) includes an opening (82) over an entry point of a planned trajectory for the shaft or needle (16). The planned trajectory extends from the entry point to the target (14). The user interface (76) further includes one or more visual indicators (80) arranged on the frame (78) around the opening (82). The one or more visual indicators (80) at least one of: 1) visually indicate deviation of the shaft or needle (16) from the planned trajectory; and 2) visually indicate a current position of a real-time slice of real-time MR images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A user interface system for guidance of a shaft or needle to a target of a subject, said user interface system comprising:
a user interface including:
a frame configured to be positioned on a surface of a subject disposed in an examination volume of an associated magnetic resonance (MR) system, the frame including an opening over an entry point of a planned trajectory for the shaft or needle, the planned trajectory extending from the entry point to the target; and,
visual indicators arranged on the frame around the opening, the visual indicators including a plurality of light sources spaced around the opening; and

at least one processor programmed to:
determine a position of the user interface using a reference scan performed by the MR system;
determine a current trajectory of the shaft or needle using MR images of the subject acquired by the associated MR system;
compare the planned trajectory with the current trajectory to determine the deviation of the shaft or needle from the planned trajectory; and,
generate a visual indication of the deviation of the shaft or needle from the planned trajectory using the one or more visual indicators of the user interface.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more visual indicators include a display device surrounding the opening, and wherein the visual indication is generated by selectively displaying visual cues on the display device around the opening to indicate a direction of proper alignment of the shaft or needle relative to the planned trajectory.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to generate the visual indication by at least one of:
selectively turning the one or more visual indicators on and/or off to indicate a direction of proper alignment of the shaft or needle to the planned trajectory; and,
selectively adjusting one or more of color, brightness, and flashing frequency of the one or more visual indicators to indicate the direction of proper alignment.

4. A user interface system for guidance of a shaft or needle to a target of a subject, said user interface system comprising:
at least one processor programmed to display a real-time slice on a display device of real-time MR images of a subject disposed in an examination volume of an associated magnetic resonance (MR) system, the real-time MR images being acquired by the associated MR system; and,
a user interface including:
a frame configured to be positioned on a surface of the subject disposed in the examination volume of the associated MR system, the frame including an opening over an entry point of a planned trajectory for the shaft or needle, the planned trajectory extending from the entry point to the target; and,
one or more visual indicators arranged on the frame around the opening;

wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to determine a position of the user interface using a reference scan performed by the MR system and to generate a visual indication of the current position of the displayed real-time slice using the one or more visual indicators of the user interface to indicate where the plane of the displayed real-time slice intersects the frame.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
monitor the user input devices to detect triggering of a user input device; and,
in response to detecting triggering of the user input device, adjust the current position of the displayed real-time slice based on position of the triggered user input device.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more visual indicators include a plurality of light sources spaced around the opening, and wherein each of the one or more visual indicators corresponds to a different one of the user input devices.

7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the displayed real-time slice is one of a plurality of color coded slices displayed on the display device, and wherein the one or more visual indicators indicate where the plane of the displayed real-time slice intersects the frame using the color coding of the displayed real-time slice.

8. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the user interface is integrated with a surface transmit and/or receive coil.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further including an electroacoustic device outputting an audio signal indicating the deviation of the shaft or needle from the planned trajectory.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to: using the one or more visual indicators, visually indicate deviation of the shaft or needle from the planned trajectory and visually indicate the current position of the real-time slice.

11. An apparatus operating in conjunction with an associated magnetic resonance (MR) system or computed tomography (CT) scanner providing real time imaging for guiding a shaft or needle to a target of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a frame configured to be positioned on a surface of the subject, the frame including an opening over an entry point of a planned trajectory for the shaft or needle extending from the entry point to the target, the frame comprising a ring that encircles the opening and including one or more visual indicators arranged on the frame and encircling the opening; and
at least one processor programmed to operate the one or more visual indicators on the frame to visually indicate at least one of: (i) a current position of the shaft or needle determined based on the real time imaging performed by the associated MR system or CT scanner; and (ii) deviation of the current position of the shaft or needle determined based on the real time imaging performed by the associated MR system or CT scanner from the planned trajectory.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more visual indicators are one of ( 1 ) a set of LEDs encircling the opening and ( 2 ) an annular display encircling the opening.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to generate the visual indication by selectively adjusting all of color, brightness, and flashing frequency of the one or more visual indicators to indicate the direction of proper alignment of the shaft or needle to the planned trajectory.

14. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an MR skin marker configured to be adhered to the surface of the subject, and configured to allow the shaft or needle to be inserted through the MR skin marker to the subject, wherein the MR skin marker comprises a receive coil.

15. The system according to claim 14 , further comprising an MR guide marker comprising:
a receive coil; and
light emitting diodes configured to illuminate along an axis of the shaft or needle.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Weiss Steffen
• Amthor Thomas Erik
• Krueger Sascha
• Wirtz Daniel
• Uhlemann Falk

Classifications

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• G01R33/286 Primary

  involving passive visualization of interventional instruments, i.e. making the instrument visible as part of the normal MR process · CPC title

• A61B2090/309

  using white LEDs · CPC title

• A61B90/30

  Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure · CPC title

• A61B5/7475 Primary

  User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick · CPC title