# US 5,851,183 A · System for indicating the position of a surgical probe within a head on an image of the head

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- Number: US 5,851,183 A
- Document ID: US5851183A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/543,516
- Filed: 1995-10-16
- Granted: 1998-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 1990-10-19
- Assignees: St. Louis University
- Inventors: Richard D. Bucholz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5851183A

## CPC

- A61B 5/0073: {by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections (A61B5/0066 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/0064: {Body surface scanning}
- A61B 5/06: Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies {; Determining position of diagnostic devices within or on the body of the patient}
- A61B 5/1077: {Measuring of profiles}
- A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
- A61B 6/501: {for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography}
- 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 8/00: Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B 8/5238: {for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image}
- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- A61B 90/10: for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
- A61B 90/36: {Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for}
- B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
- A61B 8/0808: {for diagnosis of the brain}
- A61B 90/14: Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
- A61B 90/39: {Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers}
- A61B 2017/00738: {part of the tool being offset with respect to a main axis, e.g. for better view for the surgeon}
- A61B 2034/105: {Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones}
- A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2068: {using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points}
- A61B 2034/2072: {Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient}
- A61B 2090/363: {Use of fiducial points}
- A61B 2090/364: {Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body}
- A61B 2090/378: {using ultrasound}
- A61B 2090/3788: {transmitter only}
- A61B 2090/3945: {Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes}
- A61B 2090/3954: {magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI}
- A61B 2090/3983: {Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A system for determining a position of a probe (302) relative to an object such as a head (390) of a body of a patient. The head includes a surface such as a forehead (394) having a contour. The head is placed in a cradle (392) equipped with an arc (393). The cross sectional images of the head are determined relative to the arc. A hand held unit (380) optically scans the forehead and the arc. During scanning to generate the cross sectional images, the optical scanner (380) is used to determine the position of the forehead (394) relative to the cradle (392). During surgery, the optical scanner (380) also determines the position of the forehead (394) relative to a base ring (306). An array (300) for receiving radiation emitted from the probe (302) and from the base ring (306) generates signals indicating the position of the tip of the probe (302) relative to the base ring (306). A stereotactic imaging system selects and displays the image of the head closest to the measured position of the tip of the probe (302).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for use with a part of a body of a patient, said system comprising:
an ultrasound probe adapted to be positioned adjacent to and scanning the body part;
means, responsive to the ultrasound probe, for generating an ultrasound image of the body part corresponding to the position of the ultrasound probe;
means for determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part, wherein the determining means comprises:
an array positioned in communication with the ultrasound probe;
first means for determining the position of the ultrasound probe relatively to the array;
second means for determining the position of the body part relative to the array; and
means for translating the position of the ultrasound probe as determined by the first means into a coordinate system corresponding to the position of the body part as determined by the second means;
means for scanning the body part to create scanned images thereof; and
means, responsive to the scanning means, for generating a scanned image of the body part corresponding to the determined position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part whereby the ultrasound image of the body part corresponds to and may be compared with the scanned image of the body part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the first means comprises at least three emitters on the ultrasound probe and means for activating the emitters to generate a signal communicated to the array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the second means comprises means adapted to be mounted on the body part for generating a signal received by the array to indicate the position of the body part relative to the array.

### Claim 4

A system for use with a part of a body of a patient, said system comprising:
an ultrasound probe adapted to be positioned adjacent to and scanning the body part;
means, responsive to the ultrasound probe, for generating an ultrasound image of the body part corresponding to the position of the ultrasound probe;
means for determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part, wherein the determining means comprises
reference points means having a position in fixed relation to the body part for providing reference points, said scanned images including reference images corresponding to the reference points means;
reference means having a location outside the body part for providing a reference;
first means for determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the reference means;
second means for determining the position of the reference points means of the body part relative to the reference means so that the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the reference points means of the body part is a known position; and
means for translating the known position of the ultrasound probe to provide a translated position within a coordinate system corresponding to the scanned images of the body part;
means for scanning the body part to create scanned images thereof; and
means, responsive to the scanning means, for generating a scanned image of the body part corresponding to the determined position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part whereby the ultrasound image of the body part corresponds to and may be compared with the scanned image of the body part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4 wherein the second means comprises a base adapted to be mounted on the body part in a position having a fixed relationship with the reference points means of the body and means for measuring the position of the base with respect to the reference means.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5 wherein the reference means comprises an array having sensors and wherein the ultrasound probe includes emitters on the probe for communicating with the sensors of the array to indicate a position of the ultrasound probe relative to the array.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6 further comprising additional emitters on the base for communicating with the sensors of the array to indicate the position of the base relative to the array.

### Claim 8

A method for use with a part of the body of a patient, said method comprising the steps of:
scanning the body part with a ultrasound probe positioned adjacent the body part;
generating in response to the scanning step an ultrasound image of the body part corresponding to the position of the ultrasound probe;
determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part, wherein the determining step comprises the steps of
positioning an array in communication with the ultrasound probe;
first determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the array;
second determining the position of the body part relative to the array; and
translating the position of the ultrasound probe as determined by the first determining step into a coordinate system corresponding to the position of the body part as determined by the second determining step;
scanning the body part to create scanned images thereof; and
generating in response to the second scanning step a scanned image of the body part corresponding to the determined position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part whereby the ultrasound image of the body part corresponds to and may be compared with the scanned image of the body part.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the first determining step comprises the steps of providing at least three emitters on the ultrasound probe and activating the emitters to generate a signal communicated to the array.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the second determining step comprises the steps of generating by means on the body part a signal received by the array to indicate the position of the body part relative to the array.

### Claim 11

A method for use with a part of the body of a patient, said method comprising the steps of:
scanning the body part with an ultrasound probe positioned adjacent the body part;
generating in response to the scanning step an ultrasound image of the body part corresponding to the position of the ultrasound probe;
scanning the body part to create scanned images thereof;
determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part, wherein the determining step comprises the steps of
determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to a reference means having a position in fixed relation to the body part;
determining the position of the body part relative to the reference means so that the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part is a known position; and
translating the known position of the ultrasound probe to provide a translated position within a coordinate system corresponding to the scanned images of the body part; and
generating in response to the second scanning step a scanned image of the body part corresponding to the determined position of the ultrasound probe relative to the body part whereby the ultrasound image of the body part corresponds to and may be compared with the scanned image of the body part.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the second determining step comprises the step of mounting a base on the body part in a position having a fixed relationship with the body part and measuring the position of the base with respect to the reference means.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the reference means comprises an array having sensors and wherein the ultrasound probe includes emitters on the probe for communicating with the sensors of the array to indicate a position of the ultrasound probe relative to the array.

### Claim 14

A system for providing a display of a scan of a scanning technology, the display showing a cross section of a particular position within the body, said system comprising:
reference points means having a position in relation to the body for providing reference points;
means for generating images of the body, said images including reference images corresponding to the reference points means;
reference means having a position outside the body for providing a reference;
an ultrasound probe having a position and generating an ultrasound image of the body;
first means for determining the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the reference means;
second means for determining the position of the reference points means of the body relative to the reference means so that the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the reference points means of the body is a known position;
means for translating the known position of the ultrasound probe to provide a translated position within a coordinate system corresponding to the images of the body; and
means for displaying an image of the body to provide a displayed image which corresponds to the translated position of the ultrasound probe and for displaying the ultrasound image of the body whereby the displayed image and the ultrasound image correspond to each other.