X-Ray Patient Position Monitoring

A computer implemented method for monitoring the position of a patient, comprising:

• acquiring a 3D image dataset of the patient;
• acquiring an initial real image of the patient from a medical imaging system having a known and fixed location in space, thus defining a known viewing direction of the initial real image in space, the real image being taken at a first point in time;
• performing 2D/3D registration by calculating a simulated image from the 3D image dataset which substantially matches the initial real image, the simulated image having a viewing direction onto the 3D image dataset;
• storing an initial similarity measure value for the pair of the initial real image and the calculated simulated image;
• acquiring a subsequent real image from the medical imaging system taken at a second point in time later than the first point in time;
• calculating a subsequent similarity measure value for the pair of the subsequent real image and the calculated simulated image;
• and
• outputting an indication signal if the difference between the initial similarity measure value and the subsequent similarity measure value fulfills a predetermined criterion.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions for monitoring the position of a patient which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor. to:

• acquire a 3D image dataset of the patient;
• acquire an initial real image of the patient from a medical imaging system having a known and fixed location in space defining a known viewing direction of the initial real image in space, the real image being taken at a first point in time;
• perform a 2D/3D registration by determining a simulated image from the 3D image dataset which substantially matches the initial real image, the simulated image having a viewing direction onto the 3D image dataset;
• store an initial similarity measure value for the pair of the initial real image and the calculated simulated image;
• acquire a subsequent real image from the medical imaging system taken at a second point in time later than the first point in time;
• determine a subsequent similarity measure value for the pair of the subsequent real image and the calculated simulated image;
• and
• output an indication signal if the difference between the initial similarity measure value and the subsequent similarity measure value fulfills a predetermined criterion.

A system including memory and one or more processors operable to execute instructions, stored in the memory, including instructions to perform the operation of:

• acquiring a 3D image dataset of the patient;
• acquiring an initial real image of the patient from a medical imaging system having a known and fixed location in space and a known viewing direction taken at a first point in time;
• performing a 2D/3D registration by calculating a simulated image from the 3D image dataset, the simulated image having a viewing direction onto the 3D image dataset;
• storing an initial similarity measure value for the pair of the initial real image and the calculated simulated image;
• acquiring a subsequent real image from the medical imaging system taken at a second point in time;
• calculating a subsequent similarity measure value for the pair of the subsequent real image and the calculated simulated image;
• and
• outputting an indication signal if the difference between the initial similarity measure value and the subsequent similarity measure value fulfills a predetermined criterion.