2D pathfinder visualization

A medical method, comprising:

• (a) tracking coordinates of a medical instrument within a body of a patient using a position tracking system, the medical instrument being configured to move within a passage in the body of the patient
• (b) obtaining, based on a three dimensional (3D) computerized tomography (CT) image, 3D voxel data representative of at least a part of the body within a common frame of reference;
• (c) receiving a start point and a termination point associated with the passage;
• (d) calculating, based on the 3D voxel data, a 3D path of the medical instrument through the passage from the start point to the termination point;
• (e) identifying, based on the 3D voxel data, one or more turning points along the 3D path that exceed a curvature threshold;
• (f) providing, on a display screen, for user selection a virtual camera view for each of the one or more turning points;
• (g) identifying, based on the tracked coordinates, a desired direction of the medical instrument;
• and
• (h) displaying, on the display screen, the user selected virtual camera view comprising a virtual representation of the medical instrument relative to two-dimensional (2D) CT slices, including respective 2D indications of a desired direction of the medical instrument.

A software product, comprising a non-transient computer readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a central processing unit (CPU), cause the CPU to:

• (i) track coordinates of a medical instrument within a body of a patient using a position tracking system, the medical instrument being configured to move within a passage in the body of the patient;
• (ii) obtain, based on a three dimensional (3D) computerized tomography (CT) image, 3D voxel data representative of at least a part of the body within a common frame of reference;
• (iii) receive a start point and a termination point associated with the passage;
• calculate, based on the 3D voxel data, a 3D path of the medical instrument through the passage from the start point to the termination point;
• (iv) identify, based on the 3D voxel data, one or more turning points along the 3D path that exceed a curvature threshold;
• (v) provide for user selection a virtual camera view for each of the one or more turning points via a display screen;
• and
• (vi) display, on the display screen the user selected virtual camera view comprising a virtual representation of the medical instrument relative to two-dimensional (2D) CT slices, including respective 2D indications of a desired direction of the medical instrument.