# US 2023/0410331 A1 · Imaging system

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- Number: US 2023/0410331 A1
- Document ID: US20230410331A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/460,537
- Filed: 2023-09-02
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-18
- Assignees: Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
- Applicants: Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
- Inventors: Xavier TOMAS FERNANDEZ; Andre D. A. SOUZA; Robert Allen SIMPSON; Kyo C. JIN; Hong LI; Xiaodong TAO; Patrick A. HELM; Michael Philip Marrama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230410331A1

## CPC

- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- G06T 7/33: using feature-based methods
- A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT}
- A61B 6/5247: {combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound}
- A61B 8/5261: {combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray}
- A61B 90/36: {Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for}
- G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51)
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- A61B 17/16: Instruments for performing osteoclasis; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans {(arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016)}
- A61B 17/1671: {for the spine}
- A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2063: {Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound}
- A61B 2090/364: {Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body}
- A61B 2090/376: {using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy}
- G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for operating an imaging system. The imaging system may move or be moved to acquire image data of a subject at different positions relative to the subject. The image data may, thereafter, be combined to form a single image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of generating a combined image from a plurality of image data, comprising:
accessing a first image data acquired at a first imager position of an imager;
accessing a second image data acquired at a second imager position of the imager;
recalling a first subject tracked position relative to the imager at the first imager position;
recalling a second subject tracked position relative to the imager at the second imager position;
determining a transformation matrix to align the second image data to the first image data base on the recalled first subject tracked position and the recalled second subject tracked position; and
outputting the transformation matrix.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising;
transforming the second image data with the transformation matrix to generate an aligned second image data that is aligned to the first image data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
combining the first image data and the aligned second image data to generate a combined image data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
displaying a combined image based on the combined image data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
registering the first image data to the subject;
registering the second image data to the subject;
wherein the combined image data and combined image are registered to the subject.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
navigating an instrument relative to the subject based on the combined image.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
wherein the second image data is acquired after the first image data.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
tracking the subject and the imager at the first imager position and the second imager position to determine all of the first imager position, the second imager position, the first subject tracked position, and the second subject tracked position;
wherein the imager moves in at least two degrees of freedom between the first imager position and the second imager position;
wherein the at least one of the degrees of freedom of movement is determined by the tracking the subject and the imager.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein one of degree of freedom of movement includes a Z-axis movement of the imager relative to the subject.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
acquiring the first image data with the imager; and
acquiring the second image data with the imager.

### Claim 11

A method of generating a combined image from a plurality of image data, comprising:
accessing a first image data acquired at a first imager position of an imager;
accessing a final image data acquired at a final imager position of the imager;
recalling a first tracked position of the imager at the first imager position;
recalling a first subject tracked position relative to the imager at the first imager position;
recalling a final tracked position of the imager at the final imager position;
recalling a final subject tracked position relative to the imager at the final imager position;
determining a transformation matrix to align the final image data to the first image data base on the recalled first subject tracked position and the recalled final subject tracked position; and
outputting the transformation matrix.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving an input of a selected image dimension;
determining the first imager position;
determining the final imager position; and
determining if at least one intermediate imager position is required to achieve the selected image dimension;
if determined that at least one intermediate imager position is required, determining at least one intermediate imager position.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
moving the imager to the first imager position;
moving the imager to the final imager position; and
if determined, moving the imager to the at least one intermediate imager position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
recalling an intermediate subject tracked position relative to the imager at the intermediate imager position; and
recalling an intermediate tracked position of the imager at the intermediate imager position.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
registering the first image data to the subject;
registering the intermediate image data to the subject;
registering the final image data to the subject; and
generating a combined image of all of the first image data, the intermediate image data, and the final image data based on the determined transformation matrix;
wherein the combined image includes the selected image dimension;
wherein the combined image is registered to the subject.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
tracking the subject and the imager at the first imager position and the final imager position to determine all of the first imager position, the final imager position, the first subject tracked position, and the final subject tracked position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first image data and the final image data include a dimension less than the selected image dimension.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
tracking a position of an instrument;
displaying a combined image based on the first image data and the final image data that are combined based on the determined transformation matrix; and
displaying a graphical representation of the instrument at the tracked position relative to the combined image.

### Claim 19

A system to generate a combined image from a plurality of image data, comprising:
a processor system configured to execute instruction to:
access a first image data acquired at a first imager position of an imager;
access a final image data acquired at a final imager position of the imager;
recall a first tracked position of the imager at the first imager position;
recall a first subject tracked position relative to the imager at the first imager position;
recall a final tracked position of the imager at the final imager position;
recall a final subject tracked position relative to the imager at the final imager position;
determine a transformation matrix to align the final image data to the first image data base on the recalled first subject tracked position and the recalled final subject tracked position; and
output the transformation matrix.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising:
an imager configured to acquire the first image at the first imager position and the final image data at the final imager position; and
a tracking system configured to track the subject and the imager.