# US 10,441,367 B2 · System and method for image localization of effecters during a medical procedure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,367 B2 - Document ID: US10441367B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/596,452 - Filed: 2017-05-16 - Published: 2017-11-16 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-16 - Assignees: TrackX Technology, LLC - Applicants: TrackX Technology, LLC - Inventors: Robert E. Isaacs; Samuel Morris Johnston; David Alexander Skwerer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441367B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies - A61B 6/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B 6/487: {involving fluoroscopy} - A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT} - A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation} - A61B 6/4441: {the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2065: {Tracking using image or pattern recognition} - A61B 2034/2072: {Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient} - A61B 2090/365: {augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image} - A61B 2090/373: {using light, e.g. by using optical scanners} - A61B 2090/376: {using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy} - A61B 2090/3764: {with a rotating C-arm having a cone beam emitting source} - A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers} - A61B 2090/3966: {Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image} - A61B 2090/3983: {Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A computer-assisted imaging and localization system assists the physician in positioning implants and instruments into a patient's body. The system displays overlapping images—one image of the surgical site with the patient's anatomy and another image showing the implant(s) or instrument(s). The overlapping image of the implant/instrument is moved over the static image of the anatomy as the implant/instrument is moved. These moving image of the implant/instrument can be an unaltered image or an image altered to intensify or mitigate the anatomical or non-anatomical aspects of the moving image. Sliding these images over one another helps the surgeon in positioning devices or instruments with a high degree of accuracy and with a limited number of additional x-rays. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating a display of an image of a patient's internal anatomy and of radio-dense effecter in a surgical field during a medical procedure, comprising: acquiring a baseline image of the surgical field including the patient's anatomy; acquiring an image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field, the image of the radio-dense effector including an image of a slug indicative of the working tip of the radio-dense effector; overlaying the image of the radio-dense effecter on the baseline image of the surgical field with the image of the radio-dense effecter positioned relative to the image of the patient's anatomy in the same manner as the actual radio-dense effecter is positioned relative to the actual anatomy; tracking the movement of the radio-dense effecter; and displaying the overlaid images with the image of the radio-dense effecter moving in accordance with the tracked movement of the radio-dense effecter, wherein the image of the slug includes a central element and a second element representing a point on the radio-dense effecter offset from the working tip along a longitudinal axis of the radio-dense effecter; and wherein the orientation of the second element relative to the central element is based on the angular orientation of the radio-dense effecter relative to the surgical field. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the radio-dense effecter is acquired from the baseline image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the baseline image is acquired as a full dose x-ray image of the patient's anatomy; and the image of the radio-dense effecter is acquired from a less than full dose x-ray image of the patient's anatomy with the radio-dense effecter in an initial position relative to the anatomy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring a new image of the effecter in the surgical field after the effecter has been moved relative to the anatomy; subsequently overlaying the new image of the effecter relative to the baseline image as the radio-dense effecter is subsequently moved relative to the anatomy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring an image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field includes altering the image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the step of altering the image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field includes enhancing the specific image of the effecter itself. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the step of altering the image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field includes reducing the intensity of the specific image of the anatomy relative to the intensity of the specific image of the radio-dense effecter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the step of altering the image of the radio-dense effecter includes replacing the image of the actual effecter in the surgical field with a mask of the radio-dense effecter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration of the image of the slug changes if the imaging device used to acquire the baseline image is moved. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the central element is a dot or a small circle and the second element is a larger concentric circle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the central element is a dot or a small circle and the second element is a non-circular element adapted to represent a rotation of the radio-dense effecter about its longitudinal axis. ### Claim 12 A system for displaying of an image of a patient's internal anatomy and of radio-dense effecter in a surgical field during a medical procedure, comprising: an imaging device for acquiring images of the surgical field; a tracking device for tracking the position of the radio-dense effecter within the surgical field; an image processor for receiving data from the device for acquiring images and from the tracking device, the image processor including a memory and a computer processor for processing the data and to generate data corresponding to a baseline image of the surgical field and an image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field, the image of the radio-dense effector including an image of a slug indicative of the working tip of the radio-dense effector, the processor operable to execute software to overlay the image of the radio-dense effecter on the baseline image of the surgical field with the image of the radio-dense effecter positioned relative to the image of the patient's anatomy in the same manner as the actual radio-dense effecter is positioned relative to the actual anatomy, the software further operable to move the image of the radio-dense effecter relative to the baseline image as the effecter is moved relative to the actual anatomy; and a display for receiving data from the image processor to display the overlaid images, wherein the image of the slug includes a central element and a second element representing a point on the radio-dense effecter offset from the working tip along a longitudinal axis of the radio-dense effecter; and wherein the orientation of the second element relative to the central element is based on the angular orientation of the radio-dense effecter relative to the surgical field.