System and method for increasing the accuracy of a medical imaging device

A method for improving the accuracy of a digital medical model of a part of a patient, the medical model comprising at least two medical images recorded with a medical imaging device, the method comprising:

• obtaining a set of at least two medical images of the patient, where an element comprising a predefined geometry or predefined information was in a stationary relationship with the patient during the recording of the medical images;
• obtaining at least two tracking images taken with at least one camera having a known positional relationship relative to the medical imaging device, said tracking images depicting at least part of the element;
• determining any movement of the element between acquisition of the at least two tracking images;
• and
• generating the digital medical model from the acquired medical images, wherein the determined movement of the element is used to compensate for any movement of the patient between the acquisition of the medical images;
• wherein determining the position and orientation of the element at each time stamp comprises:
• recognizing a plurality of the individual fiducial markers in each tracking image;
• obtaining a digital representation in a database of the known predefined pattern or shape of the fiducial markers;
• recognizing the pattern of the fiducial markers in each image to achieve a best fit to the known predefined pattern of the fiducial markers on the element from each tracking image.

A method for improving the accuracy of a digital medical model of a part of a patient, the medical model comprising at least two medical images recorded with a medical imaging device, the method comprising:

• obtaining a set of at least two medical images of the patient, where an element comprising a predefined geometry or predefined information was in a stationary relationship with the patient during the recording of the medical images;
• obtaining at least two tracking images taken with at least one camera having a known positional relationship relative to the medical imaging device, said tracking images depicting at least part of the element;
• determining any movement of the element between acquisition of the at least two tracking images;
• and
• generating the digital medical model from the acquired medical images, wherein the determined movement of the element is used to compensate for any movement of the patient between the acquisition of the medical images;
• wherein determining the position and orientation of the element at each time stamp comprises:
• recognizing a plurality of the individual fiducial markers in each tracking image;
• using a classification of the indices of the fiducial markers;
• and
• matching the known pattern of the fiducial markers on the element to the pattern of the fiducial markers on the tracking image using the classification of the indices of the fiducial markers.

A method for improving the accuracy of a digital medical model of a patient, the digital medical model being computed based on images recorded with a medical imaging device, the method comprising:

• obtaining a first tracking image taken with at least one camera having a known positional relationship relative to the medical imaging device, said tracking image depicting at least part of an element comprising a predefined geometry or predefined information;
• obtaining a first medical image of the patient, where an element comprising a predefined geometry and/or predefined information was in a stationary relationship with the patient during the recording of the medical image;
• obtaining at second tracking image taken with the at least one camera having a, said tracking image depicting at least part of the element;
• determining any movement of the element between acquisition of the two tracking images;
• and
• generating the digital medical model wherein the determined movement of the element is used to compensate for any movement of the patient relative to the medical imaging device during the acquisition of the medical image;
• wherein compensating for any movement of the patient between the acquisition of the medical images comprises:
• associating a time stamp with each of the medical images, and each of the tracking images;
• determining the position and orientation of the element at each time stamp and determining therefrom the movement of the element during medical image acquisition;
• generating the digital medical model from the acquired medical images, wherein the generating of the digital medical model comprises iteratively adjusting the digital medical model to account for the movement of the element during medical image acquisition.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• a radiation source emitting a radiation beam;
• a radiation sensor for detecting incident radiation from the radiation beam on a sensor area;
• an element attachable to a patient, the element comprising a number of fiducial markers in a predefined pattern, size, shape or colour;
• at least one camera configured to take tracking images of the element during the acquisition of medical images taken using the radiation source and radiation sensor;
• and
• computer means for determining a movement based on the tracking images, and for adjusting the medical images acquired using the radiation sensor to compensate for the movement;
• wherein compensating for any movement of the patient between the acquisition of the medical images comprises:
• associating a time stamp with each of the medical images, and each of the tracking images;
• determining the position and orientation of the element at each time stamp and determining therefrom the movement of the element during medical image acquisition;
• generating the digital medical model from the acquired medical images, wherein the generating of the digital medical model comprises iteratively adjusting the digital medical model to account for the movement of the element during medical image acquisition.