Method and apparatus for stone localization using ultrasound imaging

A method for locating an object in a human patient using ultrasound imaging to enable the object to be positioned with respect to a focal point of a shock wave generating system and wherein the focal point of the shock wave system is calibrated with respect to reference coordinates, comprising the steps of

• scanning the patient with an ultrasound transducer means to provide on an ultrasound system monitor an ultrasound image of the stone in the patient
• imaging the position of the ultrasound transducer by stereo video cameras means and wherein the camera images the ultrasound transducer means from two different angles and wherein the camera have been calibrated with respect to the reference coordinates,
• capturing the ultrasound image and marking the location of the stone in the ultrasound image, and capturing images of the transducer picked up by the cameras,
• processing the images from the cameras to
• the location of the ultrasound transducer upon capture of the ultrasound image of the object, and
• calculating the relationship of the stone with respect to the transducer, calculating the relationship of the stone to the reference coordinates, and calculating the distance of the stone from the focal point.

A method for locating an object within a body using ultrasound imaging to detect the position of the object in the body, comprising the steps of

• scanning the body with an ultrasound transducer to provide an ultrasound image of the object,
• imaging the position of the ultrasound transducer by stereo video cameras and wherein the cameras image the ultrasound transducer means from two different angles, the cameras being calibrated with respect to reference coordinates,
• capturing the ultrasound image and marking the location of the object in the image, and capturing images of the transducer picked up by the cameras,
• processing the images from the cameras to determine the location of the ultrasound transducer upon capture of the ultrasound image of the object, and
• calculating the relationship of the object with respect to the transducer using said ultrasound image of said object and calculating the relationship of the object to the reference coordinates, using said calculated relationship of the object the respect to the transducer and the detected position of the transducer.

A system for localization of a stone in a human patient using ultrasound imaging of the stone for enabling the stone to be positioned with respect to a focal point of a shock wave system, and wherein the position of the focal point is calibrated with respect to reference coordinates, comprising

• first and second video cameras positioned with respect to a table of the system to provide separate images from the general vicinity of the focal point for providing images of an ultrasound transducer means which can be used to provide an ultrasound image of the stone, said cameras being calibrated with respect to the reference coordinates,
• ultrasound means including said ultrasound transducer means an circuit means for providing an ultrasound image of the stone and for enabling that image to be captured,
• system means connected to said video cameras for processing images of the ultrasound transducer means from said cameras and for calculating the location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer means with respect to the reference coordinates, and
• said ultrasound transducer means comprising an ultrasound transducer having a hood affixed thereto and wherein the position of the hood is calibrated with respect to the ultrasound transducer, said hood having a plurality of reference points thereon which can be detected and imaged by said cameras for enabling the position of the hood with respect to the reference coordinates to be determined by said system means.