Ultrasound localization system with advanced biopsy site markers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12133696-B2
Application number	US-202117524941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2021
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed biopsy markers are adapted to serve as localization markers during a surgical procedure. Adaptation includes incorporation of materials detectable under ultrasound during surgery, as well as features for co-registration with image guidance or other real-time imaging technologies during surgery. Such biopsy markers, when used as localization markers, improve patient comfort and reduce challenges in surgical coordination and surgery time. Additional disclosed biopsy markers are adapted to serve as monitoring and/or detection apparatuses. Localization of an implanted marker may be done with ultrasound technology. Ultrasound image data is analyzed to identify the implanted marker. A distance to the marker or a lesion may be determined and displayed. The determined distance may be a distance between the ultrasound probe and the marker or lesion, a distance between the marker or lesion and an incision instrument, and/or a distance between the ultrasound probe and the incision instrument.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for ultrasonically locating an implanted marker with an ultrasound probe including a probe localization transceiver having a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the method comprising:
providing the marker implanted proximate a lesion within an interior of a patient;
emitting ultrasonic sound waves from an ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasound probe;
detecting reflected ultrasonic sound waves by the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the reflected ultrasonic sound waves include at least a portion of the emitted ultrasonic sound waves after being reflected from the marker;
generating image data from the reflected ultrasonic sound waves;
analyzing, by a processor, the generated image data to identify the marker within the interior of the patient;
displaying, on a display operatively connected to the processor, an ultrasound image including the marker from the generated image data;
based at least in part on the identification of the marker, emphasizing the marker within the ultrasound image displayed on the display and emitting an audible sound, wherein the audible sound is based on how close the marker is to a center of a field of view of the ultrasound image displayed on the display;
receiving a RFID signal from the probe localization transceiver;
processing, by the processer, the RFID signal received from the probe localization transceiver to determine at least one of a location of the ultrasound probe or an orientation of the ultrasound probe; and
displaying, on the display, the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising based at least in part of the identification of the marker and the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe, determining, by the processor, a distance to at least one of the marker or the lesion, and wherein the determined distance is displayed concurrently with the ultrasound image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the distance to the at least one of the marker or the lesion is further based on at least one of a location of the marker or an orientation of the marker.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a signal from a marker localization transceiver, wherein the marker localization transceiver is attached to the marker and the signal is an RFID signal; and
processing, by the processor, the signal received from the marker localization transceiver to determine the at least one of the location of the marker or the orientation of the marker relative to the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising collecting marker data at the marker and sending the marker data with the signal from the marker localization transceiver.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the distance to the at least one of the marker or the lesion includes a direction component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display of the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe comprises displaying relative to an incision instrument.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining at least one of a location of the incision instrument or an orientation of the incision instrument; and
based at least in part of the identification of the marker and the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe, determining, by the processor, a distance to at least one of the marker or the lesion relative to the incision instrument and displaying the determined distance.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a signal from an instrument localization transceiver, wherein the instrument localization transceiver is attached to the incision instrument and the signal is an RFID signal; and
processing, by the processor, the signal received from the instrument localization transceiver to determine the at least one of the location of the incision instrument or the orientation of the incision instrument.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the generated image data to identify the marker further comprises identifying an orientation of the marker based on a cross-section of the marker.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising powering the probe localization transceiver with an inductive power supply.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emphasis of the marker includes one or more of a highlight, a brightness, an outline, a graphical indicator, and/or a color.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising varying a frequency or an intensity of the audible sound based on how close the marker is to the center of the field of view.

14. A system for ultrasound localization of an implanted marker, the system comprising:
a marker configured to be implanted within an interior of a patient;
an ultrasound probe comprising an ultrasonic transducer and a probe localization transceiver, the ultrasonic transducer configured to emit ultrasonic sound waves and detect reflected ultrasonic sound waves, wherein the reflected ultrasonic sound waves include at least a portion of the emitted ultrasonic sound waves after being reflected from the marker when implanted proximate a lesion within the interior of the patient, wherein the probe localization transceiver includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) device configured to emit a RFID signal;
a display;
at least one processor operatively connected to the ultrasound probe and the display; and
memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor, storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor perform a set of operations comprising:
generating image data from the reflected ultrasonic sound waves;
analyzing the generated image data to identify the marker within the interior of the patient;
displaying on the display an ultrasound image including the marker from the generated image data;
based at least in part on the identification of the marker, emphasizing the marker within the ultrasound image displayed on the display and emitting an audible sound, wherein the audible sound is based on how close the marker is to a center of a field of view of the ultrasound image displayed on the display;
processing the RFID signal received from the probe localization transceiver to determine at least one of a location of the ultrasound probe or an orientation of the ultrasound probe; and
displaying on the display the at least one of the location of the ultrasound probe or the orientation of the ultrasound probe.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the set of operations that the at least one processor performs further comprises based at least in part on the identification of the marker and the at least one of the location of the ultrasonic probe or the orientation of the ultrasonic probe, determining a distance to at least one of the marker or the lesion, and wherein the determined distance is displayed concurrently with the ultrasound image.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the distance to the at least one of the marker or the lesion is further based on at least one of a location of the marker or an orientation of the marker.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a marker localization transceiver attached to the marker, wherein the marker localization transceiver is configured to transmit a RFID signal to indicate the at least one of the location of the marker or the orientatio

Assignees

• Hologic Inc

Inventors

• Laviola John
• St Pierre Shawn
• Stellmach Brian
• Fontaine Lori
• Stand Iii Joseph A
• Alvarez Estefania
• Grantz Stephen
• Lyman Michelle Dawn
• Butler Shannon Marie
• Mathis Yuliya

Classifications

• A61B2018/00595

  Cauterization · CPC title

• A61B17/3211

  Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor · CPC title

• A61B8/481

  involving the use of contrast agents, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream · CPC title

• A61B2090/395

  with marking agent for marking skin or other tissue · CPC title

• A61B2090/3904

  specially adapted for marking specified tissue · CPC title