Visualization apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808323-B2
Application number	US-201013321580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2010
Priority date	Jun 4, 2009
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a visualization apparatus for visualizing quality of applying energy to an object. The quality of applying energy at a location on the object ( 3 ) is visualized based on a) a provided image of the object and b) a provided quality value representing the quality of applying energy to the object at the location on the object ( 3 ), wherein a visual property assigning unit ( 9 ) assigns a visual property to the location depending on the quality value and a display ( 10 ) displays the provided image and the assigned visual property at the location on the object shown in the image. In general a person who applies energy to the object is focused on the location at which energy is applied. Since quality information is shown at the location on which the person is already focused, the quality dependent information can easily be absorbed by the person.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A visualization apparatus for visualizing a quality of an applied energy on a physical object that is applied by an energy application element, wherein the visualization apparatus is configured to visualize the quality of the applied energy at a location on the physical object based on a provided image of the physical object and a provided quality value representing the quality of the applied energy on the physical object at the location on the physical object, wherein the visualization apparatus comprises:
a visual property assigning unit configured to assign a visual property to the location depending on the quality value, and
a display configured to display the provided image and a separate graphic representing the assigned visual property at the location on the physical object shown in the image;
wherein the quality value is a depth value being indicative of the depth to which the applied energy has altered the physical object and a contact value being indicative of a degree of contact between the energy application element and the physical object, the depth value having an assigned first visual property and the contact value having an assigned second visual property.

2. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the depth value is provided with respect to a thickness of a wall of the physical object.

3. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the physical object has a wall to which the applied energy is applied, wherein the visualization apparatus comprises a transmural region calculation unit for calculating a transmural region of the physical object based on the provided depth value and wherein the display is configured to show the calculated transmural region on the image of the physical object.

4. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the provided image of the physical object is an anatomic map of the object and wherein the display is configured to display the separate graphic representing the assigned visual property at the location on the anatomic map.

5. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the visualization apparatus further comprises a gauge element shown on the display, wherein the gauge element indicates a relation between a visual property and the quality value.

6. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the quality value is a depth value being indicative of the depth to which the applied energy has altered the physical object at the location and wherein the gauge element comprises a marker indicating the depth to which the applied energy has altered the physical object based on the provided depth value.

7. The visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the quality value is repeatedly provided during applying the applied energy to the physical object, wherein the visual property assigning unit is configured to repeatedly assign a visual property to the location depending on the respective actually provided quality value and wherein the display is configured to repeatedly display the provided image and the graphic of the respective actually assigned visual property at the location on the physical object shown in the image.

8. An energy application apparatus for applying energy to a physical object comprising the visualization apparatus as recited in claim 1 , the energy application apparatus further comprising:
an image providing unit configured to provide the provided image of the physical object,
the energy application element that is configured to apply the applied energy to the physical object at the location,
a localization unit configured to localize the energy application element at the location, and
a quality value determining unit configured to determine the quality value at the location on the physical object.

9. The energy application apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the energy application apparatus further comprises a sensing unit configured to generate a sensing signal being indicative of a property of the physical object at the location, wherein the quality value determining unit is configured to determine the quality value depending on the generated sensing signal.

10. The visualization apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the applied energy is produced by an ablation device which results in ablation of the physical object.

11. The visualization apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the visual property assigned to the location by the visual property assigning unit comprises at least one of a color and an intensity.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for visualizing an effect of applying energy to a physical object, the computer readable program comprising program code means for causing a computer that controls a visualization apparatus to cause the visualization apparatus to function as the visualization apparatus as defined in claim 1 .

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for applying energy to a physical object, the computer readable program comprising program code means for causing a computer that controls an energy application apparatus to cause the energy application apparatus to function as the energy application apparatus as defined in claim 8 .

14. A visualization method for visualizing a quality of an applied energy on a physical object that is applied by an energy application element, wherein the visualization method is configured to visualize the quality of the applied energy at a location on the physical object based on a provided image of the physical object and a provided quality value at the location on the physical object, the quality value representing the quality of the applied energy on the physical object at the location on the object, wherein the visualization method comprises:
assigning a visual property to the location depending on the quality value, and
displaying the provided image and a separate graphic representing the assigned visual property at the location on the physical object shown in the image;
wherein the quality value is a depth value being indicative of the depth to which the applied energy has altered the physical object and a contact value being indicative of a degree of contact between the energy application element and the physical object, the depth value having an assigned first visual property and the contact value having an assigned second visual property.

15. An energy application method for applying energy to a physical object comprising the visualization method as recited in claim 14 , the energy application method further comprising:
providing the provided image of the physical object,
localizing an energy application element for determining the location of the energy application element,
applying the applied energy to the physical object at the location by using the localized energy application element, and
determining the quality value at the location on the physical object.

Assignees

• Barley Maya
• Deladi Szabolcs
• Harks Godefridus Antonius
• Suijver Jan Frederik
• Megens Mischa
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Barley Maya
• Deladi Szabolcs
• Harks Godefridus Antonius
• Suijver Jan Frederik
• Megens Mischa

Classifications

• A61B2090/065

  for measuring contact or contact pressure · CPC title

• A61B2090/062

  penetration depth · CPC title

• A61B90/36 Primary

  Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B2090/376

  using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy · CPC title

• A61B2017/00106

  ultrasonic · CPC title