# US 2020/0258239 A1 · Automated implant movement analysis systems and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0258239 A1 - Document ID: US20200258239A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/752,793 - Filed: 2020-01-27 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-13 - Assignees: Sectra AB - Applicants: Sectra AB - Inventors: Olof Sandberg; Stefan Lindholm; Rolf Scheiderbauer; Claes Lundström - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200258239A1 ## CPC - G16H 50/70: for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients - A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 7/0014: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 7/0016: {involving temporal comparison} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 7/174: involving the use of two or more images - G06T 7/215: Motion-based segmentation - G06T 7/30: Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration - G06T 7/38: Registration of image sequences - G06V 10/754: {involving a deformation of the sample pattern or of the reference pattern; Elastic matching} - G16H 20/40: relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture - G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS - G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing - G16H 50/50: for simulation or modelling of medical disorders - A61B 2034/102: {Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis} - A61B 2576/00: Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis (A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence) - G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds - G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT] - G06T 2207/30008: Bone - G06T 2207/30052: Implant; Prosthesis - G06V 2201/03: Recognition of patterns in medical or anatomical images - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Methods, systems, workstations, and computer program products that provide automated implant analysis using first and second sets of patient image stacks of a patient having at least one metallic implant coupled to bone. Relevant image stack pairs are selected from the first and second patient image stacks, the image stack pairs having at least one common target object or part of a target object for analysis therein. Bone and the at least one metallic implant are segmented in the first and second image stacks to define segmented objects and/or segmented parts of objects. Selected relevant image stack pairs from the first and second patient image stacks can be registered using the selected segmented objects and/or the segmented parts of objects. Measurements of movement of the implant and/or coupled bone after the registration can be calculated using the selected segmented objects and/or the segmented parts of objects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated implant analysis method comprising: obtaining first and second sets of patient image stacks of a patient having at least one implant coupled to bone; segmenting bone and/or the at least one implant in the first and second image stacks to define segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects; automatically selecting which segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects to use as registration and measurement targets; registering the selected relevant image stack pairs from the first and second patient image stacks using the selected segmented whole objects and/or the segmented parts of objects; and using the registered selected segmented whole objects and/or parts of objects to display or automatically measure movement of the implant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the segmenting step is carried out automatically, and wherein the method further comprises automatically repeating the segmenting step using different tuning parameters before the registering step to thereby provide more accurate segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects for the registering step. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the segmenting bone and the at least one implant is carried out a plurality of times using a plurality of different threshold levels that varies noise levels and amount of bone included in the defined segmented whole objects and/or the segmented parts of objects. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the segmenting step, automatically selecting relevant image stack pairs from the first and second patient image stacks, wherein the image stack pairs having at least one common target object or part of a target object for analysis therein. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting is carried out to select an entire implant as one of the segmented whole objects as a registration target for the registration step. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting which segmented whole objects and/or segmented part of objects to use as registration and measurement targets is carried out to select part of the implant as one of the segmented parts of objects as a registration target for the registration step. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting which segmented objects and/or segmented part of objects to use as registration and measurement targets comprises automatically electronically matching segmented whole and/or partial bone objects to pre-defined templates of target objects. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting which segmented objects and/or segmented part of objects to use as registration and measurement targets comprises automatically electronically matching segmented whole and/or parts of implant objects to pre-defined templates of target whole and/or parts of objects, optionally aided by segmented bone objects. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting which segmented objects and/or segmented part of objects to use as registration and measurement targets comprises automatically electronically creating a set of different analysis targets for movement analysis based on the selected segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects matched to pre-defined templates of target whole and/or partial objects. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising automatically grouping matched objects according to pre-defined templates of target whole and/or partial object groups. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising automatically electronically creating a set of different analysis targets for movement analysis based on segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects matched to pre-defined templates of target whole and/or partial objects. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises electronically removing or omitting a part of the anatomy of the patient in the relevant pairs of image stacks before the registration step. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the automatically selecting step, automatically removing or discarding non-relevant objects and/or parts of objects from a larger set of segmented objects and/or segmented parts of objects. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an electronic implant blueprint corresponding to the implant in the patient, wherein one or more of the segmenting, selecting, registering or measuring is carried out using the electronic implant blueprint. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an electronic implant blueprint corresponding to the implant in the patient; electronically defining reference points on the electronic implant blueprint; then electronically translating the blueprint reference points to the segmented implant object, wherein the automatically calculating measurements of movement of the implant and/or coupled bone after the registration is carried out using the translated blueprint reference points. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an electronic implant blueprint corresponding to the implant in the patient; and electronically defining focus surface locations on the electronic implant blueprint, wherein, before the registration, automatically electronically translating the blueprint focus surface locations to corresponding locations on segmented implant objects and/or parts of objects, then generating unevenly distributed point cloud with higher concentration at focus surface locations, then performing the registration using the generated point cloud. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: before the registration, automatically electronically deriving shape characteristics across one or more surfaces of a segmented implant object and/or a segmented part of implant object as one or more of the segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects, then electronically generating unevenly distributed point cloud with concentration varying according to shape curvature, then electronically performing the registration using the generated point cloud. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an electronic implant blueprint corresponding to the implant in the patient; electronically comparing a segmented implant object to the implant blueprint; and adjusting segmentation parameters and repeating the segmentation. ### Claim 19 An automated implant analysis method comprising: obtaining first and second sets of patient image stacks of a patient having at least one implant coupled to bone; automatically identifying objects as relevant analysis targets, each analysis target associated with at least one relevant stack pair; automatically performing movement analysis for each identified analysis target; electronically storing an analysis target set of different analysis targets and associated movement analysis results; allowing a user to select an analysis target from the analysis target set; and displaying the movement analysis result of the selected analysis target. ### Claim 20 An automated implant analysis method comprising: obtaining first and second sets of patient image stacks of a patient having at least one implant coupled to bone; segmenting bone and/or the at least one implant in the first and second image stacks to define segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects; automatically electronically deriving shape characteristics for the segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects; automatically electronically using the shape characteristics to calculate risk of registration errors; use the calculated risk of registration error for automatic or manual selection of segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects to use as registration and measurement targets; registering the selected relevant image stack pairs from the first and second patient image stacks using the selected segmented whole objects and/or the segmented parts of objects; and using the registered selected segmented whole objects and/or parts of objects to display or automatically measure movement of the implant. ### Claim 21 An automated orthopedic analysis method comprising: obtaining first and second sets of patient image stacks of a patient; segmenting bone in the first and second image stacks to define segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects; automatically selecting which segmented whole objects and/or segmented parts of objects to use as registration and measurement targets; registering the selected relevant image stack pairs from the first and second patient image stacks using the selected segmented whole objects and/or the segmented parts of objects; and using the registered selected segmented whole objects and/or parts of objects to display or automatically measure movement of the bone. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A workstation configured to carry out the method of claim 1. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) An image processing circuit configured to carry out the method of claim 1.