Methods and apparatuses for image guided medical procedures

A system for imaging a body to guide a medical operation, the system comprising:

• a transducer to scan an anatomy;
• a signal processing unit coupled to the transducer to generate a recorded image of the anatomy;
• means for storing data representing manipulations to generate the representation of the recorded image;
• means for applying the data to an image of the anatomy with real time information obtained during the medical operation to generate a representation of the image of the anatomy with the real time information in a way the representation of the recorded image is generated from the recorded image;
• and
• means for displaying the representation of the image of the anatomy with the real time information.

A system for imaging a body to guide a medical operation, the system comprising:

• a transducer to scan an anatomy;
• a signal processing unit coupled to the transducer to generate a real time image;
• a position determination subsystem to determine a location and orientation of the transducer;
• means for determining a first set of image alignment parameters to spatially align the real time image with a recorded image based on the location and orientation of the transducer, each of the recorded image and the real time image containing at least a portion of an anatomy in which the medical operation is performed;
• and
• means for searching, through correlation, for a second set of image alignment parameters starting from the first set of image alignment parameters to improve spatial alignment between the recorded image and the real time image.

A system for imaging a body to guide a medical operation, the system comprising:

• a transducer to scan an anatomy;
• a signal processing unit coupled to the transducer to generate a three dimensional image;
• means for displaying a representation of a cursor, which is in a three dimensional image space of the image, in at least two non-parallel views, each of the views containing a graphical representation of the cursor superimposed on a corresponding view of the image, the image showing an anatomy in which the medical operation is performed;
• means for receiving user input to change a position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image;
• means for updating the graphical representation of cursor in the two non-parallel views according to the user input;
• means for receiving user input, relative to the two non-parallel views, which indicates that the cursor is to coincide with a particular point captured in the image;
• and
• means for determining a position of the point based on the position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image.

A method to guide a medical operation, the method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of first images of an anatomy;
• combining the plurality of first images of the anatomy into a recorded image of the anatomy, the recorded image having a field of view of the anatomy larger than each of the plurality of first images;
• obtaining a real time image of the anatomy during the medical operation, the real time image having a field of view of the anatomy smaller than the recorded image, the real time image containing an image of a medical device used in the medical operation in a portion of the anatomy;
• and
• aligning the real time image with the recorded image through correlation of imaging data from the real time image and the recorded image to determine a spatial relation between the real time image and the recorded image.

A method to guide a medical operation, the method comprising:

• storing data representing manipulations on a recorded image of anatomy;
• applying the data to an image of the anatomy with substantially real time information obtained during the medical operation to generate a representation of the image of the anatomy with the substantially real time information in a way the representation of the recorded image is generated from the recorded image;
• and
• displaying the representation of the image of the anatomy with the real time information.

A method in a medical operation, the method comprising:

• displaying a representation of a cursor, which is in a three dimensional image space of an image, in at least two non-parallel views, each of the views containing a graphical representation of the cursor superimposed on a corresponding view of the image, the image showing an anatomy in which the medical operation is performed;
• receiving user input to change a position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image;
• updating the graphical representation of cursor in the two non-parallel views according to the user input;
• receiving user input, relative to the two non-parallel views, which indicates that the cursor is to coincide with a particular point captured in the image;
• and
• determining a position of the point based on the position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image.

A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method to guide a medical operation, the method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of first images of an anatomy;
• combining the plurality of first images of the anatomy into a recorded image of the anatomy, the recorded image having a field of view of the anatomy larger than each of the plurality of first images;
• obtaining a real time image of the anatomy during the medical operation, the real time image having a field of view of the anatomy smaller than the recorded image, the real time image containing an image of a medical device used in the medical operation in a portion of the anatomy;
• and
• aligning the real time image with the recorded image through correlation of imaging data from the real time image and the recorded image to determine a spatial relation between the real time image and the recorded image.

A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method to guide a medical operation, the method comprising:

• storing data representing manipulations on a recorded image of anatomy;
• applying the data to an image of the anatomy with substantially real time information obtained during the medical operation to generate a representation of the image of the anatomy with the substantially real time information in a way the representation of the recorded image is generated from the recorded image;
• and
• displaying the representation of the image of the anatomy with the real time information.

A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method in a medical operation, the method comprising:

• displaying a representation of a cursor, which is in a three dimensional image space of an image, in at least two non-parallel views, each of the views containing a graphical representation of the cursor superimposed on a corresponding view of the image, the image showing an anatomy in which the medical operation is performed;
• receiving user input to change a position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image;
• updating the graphical representation of cursor in the two non-parallel views according to the user input;
• receiving user input, relative to the two non-parallel views, which indicates that the cursor is to coincide with a particular point captured in the image;
• and
• determining a position of the point based on the position of the cursor in the three dimensional image space of the image.