Method and device for segmentation and registration of an anatomical structure

A device for segmentation of a preoperative model of a target anatomical structure in view of a registration of said preoperative model with an image of a target anatomical structure exposed during surgery, said device comprising:

• at least one input configured to receive:
• at least one 3D image acquired from at least one 3D imaging sensor, the 3D image comprising data points representing at least one exposed portion of the target anatomical structure;
• the preoperative model comprising data points defined in a model referential having at least one first axis,
• at least one central processing unit configured to:
• initially registering at least one portion of the preoperative model to at least one portion of the 3D image;
• define a current sub-set of data points comprising data points from the preoperative model;
• generate an intermediate sub-set of data points of the preoperative model comprising the data points of the current sub-set of data points and, in addition, comprising at least one group of additional data points of the preoperative model located along the first axis and outside of the portion of the preoperative model corresponding to the current sub-set of data points;
• calculating a distance measure representative of a distance between a respective data point of the intermediate sub-set of data points and a corresponding data point of the 3D image;
• determining whether the distance measure is less than a predefined threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the distance measure is less than the predefined threshold, including the respective data point of the intermediate sub-set of data points into the new iteration sub-set;
• in response to determining that the distance measure is greater than the predefined threshold, discarding the respective data point of the intermediate sub-set of data points from the new iteration sub-set;
• register the preoperative model to at least one portion of the 3D image based on the new iteration sub-set;
• repeat, the generation of an intermediate sub-set of data points, calculation of the distance measure, determination and inclusion of data points as the new iteration sub-set, and registration, where the new iteration sub-set is used as the current sub-set of data points until an exit criterion has been satisfied.