Freehand ultrasound imaging systems and methods for guiding fine elongate instruments
OwnerLaurent Pelissier, Kris Dickie +2inventors
InventorsLaurent Pelissier, Kris Dickie, Corina Leung, Bo Zhuang
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Abstract
An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. Displays indicating a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and displays indicating a projection of a reference position onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer are provided. Displays indicating in real-time whether the needle is substantially within the plane of the ultrasound image are provided.
Claims26
An ultrasound system for use in guiding medical interventions in a body, the ultrasound system comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer operable to receive ultrasound echo signals returning from a portion of the body;
- a fine elongate instrument adapted to be inserted in the body, the instrument defining a longitudinal axis,
- a position sensing system operable to monitor a spatial location and orientation of the instrument and a spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;
- a controller communicatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and the position sensing system;
- and
- a display communicatively coupled to the controller;
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- generate a two dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals;
- display the ultrasound image on the display, the ultrasound image depicting a plane of the portion of the body;
- determine a location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;
- determine a first distance between a first line in the plane and a first point along the longitudinal axis at which the longitudinal axis traverses the first line;
- determine a second distance between a second line in the plane and a second point along the longitudinal axis at which the longitudinal axis traverses the second line;
- generate on the display a first needle-image alignment indicator having a first coded appearance characteristic indicative of the first distance;
- and
- generate on the display a second needle-image alignment indicator having a second coded appearance characteristic indicative of the second distance.
A method for providing a display for use in guiding a fine elongate instrument, the instrument defining a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- receiving ultrasound echo signals returning from a portion of the body;
- determining a spatial location and orientation of the instrument and a spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;
- generating a two dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals;
- displaying the ultrasound image on the display, the ultrasound image depicting a plane of the portion of the body;
- determining a location of the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;
- determining a location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;
- determining a first distance between a first line in the plane and a first point along the longitudinal axis at which the longitudinal axis traverses the first line;
- determining a second distance between a second line in the plane and a second point along the longitudinal axis at which the longitudinal axis traverses the second line;
- generating on the display a first needle-image alignment indicator having a first coded appearance characteristic indicative of the first distance;
- and
- generating on the display a second needle-image alignment indicator having a second coded appearance characteristic indicative of the second distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.