Computerized tomography (CT) image correction using position and direction (P and D) tracking assisted optical visualization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11800970-B2
Application number	US-202217881755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2022
Priority date	Oct 4, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A system (11) includes a medical probe (36) for insertion into a cavity of an organ, which includes a position and direction sensor (60) and a camera (45), both operating in a sensor coordinate system (62). The system further includes a processor (44) configured to: receive, from an imaging system (21) operating in an image coordinate system (28), a three-dimensional image of the cavity including open space and tissue; receive, from the medical probe, signals indicating positions and respective directions of the medical probe inside the cavity; receive, from the camera, respective visualized locations inside the cavity; register the image coordinate system with the sensor coordinate system so as to identify one or more voxels in the image at the visualized locations, and when the identified voxels have density values in the received image that do not correspond to the open space, to update the density values of the identified voxels to correspond to the open space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
(a) a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal tip, the distal tip having a radially outer periphery, the shaft adapted to be inserted into a patient and positioned at a surgical site of the patient;
(b) a passive stereo vision device positioned at the distal tip and operable to capture a set of image data comprising one or more two-dimensional images, wherein the passive stereo vision device comprises two or more cameras arranged radially inwardly of the radially outer periphery of the distal tip of the shaft, wherein each camera of the two or more cameras are:
(i) statically positioned relative to every other camera of the two or more cameras, and
(ii) oriented to have a parallel optical axis with every other camera of the two or more cameras, wherein a first optical axis of a first camera of the two or more cameras is disposed on a first side of the longitudinal axis, wherein a second optical axis of a second camera of the two or more cameras is disposed on a second side of the longitudinal axis; and

(c) a channel extending through the shaft and to the distal tip, the channel being configured to provide one or more of:
(i) passage of a working instrument, or
(ii) communication of a fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more cameras of the passive stereo vision device are offset from each other along a first dimension and are at a same position as each other along a second dimension.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more cameras of the passive stereo vision device are configured to capture two or more fields of view of the surgical site, respectively, wherein the two or more fields of view overlap each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more cameras of the passive stereo vision device have two or more lenses arranged on a same lens plane as each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is operable to provide deflection of the distal tip.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal tip includes at least one illuminating element configured to illuminate at least one field of view of the passive stereo vision device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one irrigation diverter configured to direct at least a portion of irrigation fluid from the channel to the passive stereo vision device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor proximate to the distal tip and configured to produce a set of position signals based on a location of the apparatus during use.

9. A three-dimensional imaging system comprising:
(a) the apparatus of claim 1 ; and
(b) a processor communicatively coupled with the apparatus and configured to perform an image depth analysis to determine a set of three-dimensional characteristics for each of the one or more two-dimensional images, wherein the image depth analysis comprises a passive stereo vision technique.

10. A three-dimensional imaging system comprising:
(a) an endoscope comprising:
(i) a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal tip, the distal tip having a radially outer periphery, the shaft adapted to be inserted into a patient and positioned at a surgical site of the patient, and
(ii) a passive stereo vision device positioned at the distal tip and operable to capture a set of image data comprising one or more two-dimensional images, wherein the passive stereo vision device comprises two or more cameras arranged radially inwardly of the radially outer periphery of the distal tip of the shaft, wherein each of the two or more cameras are:
(A) statically positioned relative to every other camera of the two or more cameras, and
(B) oriented to have a parallel optical axis with every other camera of the two or more cameras, wherein a first optical axis of a first camera of the two or more cameras is disposed on a first side of the longitudinal axis, wherein a second optical axis of a second camera of the two or more cameras is disposed on a second side of the longitudinal axis; and

(b) a processor communicatively coupled with the endoscope and configured to:
(i) receive the set of image data from the endoscope, and
(ii) perform an image depth analysis to determine a set of 3D characteristics for each of the one or more two-dimensional images, wherein the set of three-dimensional characteristics comprises a depth of pixels, wherein the image depth analysis comprises a passive stereo vision technique comprising:
(A) identifying a point in a first image of the set of image data, wherein the point comprises a portion of the surgical site that is present within both the first image captured by a first camera of the two or more cameras and within a second image captured by a second camera of the two or more cameras,
(B) identifying the point in the second image,
(C) determining a displacement of the point from the first image to the second image, and
(D) determining the depth of pixels for the point based on the displacement.

11. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when identifying the point in the second image, determine an Epipolar line for the first image and the second image based on the static position of the first camera relative to the second camera.

12. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when identifying the point in the second image, search for the point in the second image along the Epipolar line while excluding portions of the second image that do not fall along the Epipolar line.

13. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to create a set of three-dimensional image data based on the one or more two-dimensional images and the set of three-dimensional characteristics.

14. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the endoscope further comprises a position sensor proximate to the distal tip and configured to produce a set of position signals based on a location of the endoscope during use, wherein the processor is further configured to:
(i) receive the set of position signals from the endoscope,
(ii) determine a set of perspective data based on the set of position signals, wherein the set of perspective data indicates the location of the endoscope during capture of each of the one or more two-dimensional images,
(iii) receive an input from a user defining a perspective relative to the surgical site,
(iv) determine a first portion of the set of three-dimensional image data depicting the surgical site from the perspective based on identifying the perspective within the set of perspective data, and
(v) display the first portion of the set of three-dimensional image data on a display.

15. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
(i) receive an indirect three-dimensional scan of the surgical site and a set of scan perspective data associated with the indirect three-dimensional scan,
(ii) determine a second portion of the indirect three-dimensional scan depicting the surgical site from the perspective based on identifying the perspective within the set of scan perspective data, and
(iii) display the first portion of the set of three-dimensional image data and the second portion of the indirect three-dimensional scan on the display simultaneously.

16. The three-dimensional imaging system of claim 15 , wherein the indirect three-dimensional scan of the surgical site comprises pr

Assignees

• Biosense Webster Israel Ltd
• Acclarent Inc

Inventors

• Govari Assaf
• Gliner Vadim
• Ebrahimi Babak
• Shameli Ehsan
• Akbarian Fatemeh
• Palushi Jetmir
• Algawi Yehuda

Classifications

• A61B2034/2065

  Tracking using image or pattern recognition · CPC title

• A61B2034/2055

  Optical tracking systems · CPC title

• A61B2090/3762

  using computed tomography systems [CT] · CPC title

• A61B2090/373

  using light, e.g. by using optical scanners · CPC title

• A61B34/20

  Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis · CPC title