3d tracking of an interventional instrument in 2d ultrasound guided interventions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019159752-A1
Application number	US-201716098992-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	May 10, 2016
Publication date	May 30, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An interventional instrument (30) having ultrasound sensors (S1, S2, S3, S4, . . . ) is tracked using an ultrasound imaging device (10) that acquires and displays a 2D ultrasound image of a visualization plane (18), and performs 2D ultrasound sweeps for a range of plane angles (θ) obtained by rotating the ultrasound probe (12) and encompassing the visualization plane angle. For each ultrasound sensor, an optimal plane is found based on its emitted signal strength over the range of plane angles, and the ultrasound sensor is located in its optimal plane by analyzing the sensor signal as a function of the timing of the beams fired by the ultrasound probe. These locations in their respective optimal planes are transformed to a 3D reference space using a transform (42) parameterized by plane angle, and a visual indicator is displayed of spatial information (T, L) for the interventional instrument generated from the locations of the one or more ultrasound sensors in the 3D reference space.

First claim

1 . A tracking device for tracking an interventional instrument that has one or more ultrasound sensors disposed with the interventional instrument, the tracking device comprising:
an ultrasound imaging device including an ultrasound probe configured to acquire a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image; and an electronic processor programmed to operate the ultrasound imaging device to perform an interventional instrument tracking method including:
operating the ultrasound imaging device to display a 2D ultrasound image of a visualization plane;
performing 2D ultrasound sweeps of a plurality of planes that encompasses the visualization plane and, for each 2D ultrasound plane of the plurality of planes, detecting a signal emitted by each ultrasound sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep of the plane;
for each ultrasound sensor, identifying:
an optimal plane of the plurality of planes for which the detected signal emitted by the ultrasound sensor is highest,
the location of the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane, and
the location of the ultrasound sensor in a three-dimensional (3D) reference space based on the location of the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane; and

determining spatial information for the interventional instrument, including at least one of tip location (T) and orientation (L) of the interventional instrument, based on the identified locations of the one or more ultrasound sensors in the 3D reference space.

2 . The tracking device of claim 1 further comprising:
a stepper device connected to rotate the ultrasound probe about an axis to acquire the 2D ultrasound image at a plane having a plane angle (θ) controlled by the stepper device,
wherein the plurality of planes span a range of plane angles that encompasses the plane angle of the visualization plane.

3 . The tracking device of claim 2 wherein the ultrasound probe is a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe.

4 . The tracking device of claim 2 further comprising:
a guidance grid configured to be positioned abutting against a perineum and to guide the interventional instrument through an entry point of the guidance grid;
wherein the electronic processor determines the spatial information for the interventional instrument further based on a location (E) in the 3D reference space of the entry point of the guidance grid through which the interventional instrument is guided.

5 . The tracking device of claim 1 further comprising:
an ultrasound probe tracker configured to track the location, in the 3D reference space, of the ultrasound probe;
wherein the location P(x, y, z) of the ultrasound sensor in the 3D reference space is identified as P(x, y, z)=T probe,θ ×p(x, y) where p(x, y) is the location of the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane and T probe,θ is a transformation from the optimal plane to the 3D reference space which depends on the tracked location of the probe and a parameter θ of the optimal plane.

6 . The tracking device of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound sensors disposed with the interventional instrument are piezoelectric sensors and the tracking device further comprises:
an electric signal detector configured to detect an electric signal emitted by each piezoelectric sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep;
wherein the electronic processor performs the detecting using the electric signal detector to detect the electric signal emitted by each piezoelectric sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep.

7 . The tracking device of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound sensors disposed with the interventional instrument are ultrasound-reflective sensors that re-radiate received ultrasound pulses and the electronic processor performs the detecting using the ultrasound probe to detect the re-radiated ultrasound pulse emitted by each piezoelectric sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep.

8 . The tracking device of claim 1 wherein the electronic processor identifies the location of the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane based on analyzing the sensor signal as a function of the timing of the beams fired by the ultrasound probe.

9 . The tracking device of claim 1 wherein the electronic processor identifies the location of the ultrasound sensor as time stamped samples, and identifies the parameter of the optimal plane as time stamped samples, and the electronic processor further synchronizes the time stamped samples of the location of the ultrasound sensor and the time stamped samples of the parameter of the optimal plane by interpolation.

10 . The tracking device of claim 1 wherein the interventional instrument tracking method performed by the electronic processor further includes displaying a visual indicator of the determined spatial information for the interventional instrument on the displayed 2D ultrasound image of the visualization plane.

11 . A tracking method for tracking an interventional instrument that has one or more ultrasound sensors disposed with the interventional instrument, the tracking method comprising:
operating an ultrasound imaging device including an ultrasound probe to display a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image of a visualization plane; rotating the ultrasound probe about an axis to scan a plurality of planes spanning a range of plane angles (θ) that encompasses the plane angle of the visualization plane and, for each plane of the plurality of planes, operating the ultrasound imaging device to perform a 2D ultrasound sweep of the plane; during each 2D ultrasound sweep, detecting a signal emitted by each ultrasound sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep; for each ultrasound sensor, identifying an optimal plane for which the signal emitted by the ultrasound sensor is highest and locating the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane; determining the location of each ultrasound sensor in a three-dimensional (3D) reference space by transforming the location of the ultrasound sensor in its optimal plane to the 3D reference space using a transform parameterized by plane angle; determining spatial information (T, L) for the interventional instrument based on the locations of the one or more ultrasound sensors in the 3D reference space; and displaying a visual indicator of the determined spatial information for the interventional instrument on the displayed 2D ultrasound image of the visualization plane.

12 . The tracking method of claim 11 wherein the ultrasound probe is a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe and the visualization plane is the sagittal plane of the TRUS probe.

13 . The tracking method of claim 12 wherein the spatial information (T, L) for the interventional instrument is determined further based on a location (E) in the 3D reference space at which the interventional instrument passes through a guidance grid.

14 . The tracking method of claim 11 wherein the ultrasound sensors disposed with the interventional instrument are piezoelectric sensors and the operation of detecting a signal emitted by each ultrasound sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep includes detecting a sensor voltage generated by the piezoelectric sensor in response to the 2D ultrasound sweep.

15 . The tracking method of claim 11 wherein locating the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane includes locating the ultrasound sensor in the optimal plane based on analyzing the sensor signal as a function of the timing of the beams fired by the ultrasound probe.

16 . The tracking method of claim 11 further comprising:
generating time stamped samples of the plane angle using an ultrasound probe tracker;
assigning time stamps to the locations of

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Bharat Shyam
• Jain Ameet Kumar
• Bonillas Vaca Antonio

Classifications

• A61B8/0841 Primary

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