Method and apparatus for registration, verification, and referencing of internal organs

Abstract

Systems and methods for registering, verifying, dynamically referencing, and navigating an anatomical region of interest of a patient are provided. In one embodiment, the anatomical region of interest is imaged using an imaging device such as, for example, an x-ray device. A tracked registration device may then be removably inserted in a conduit within the anatomical region and the position of the registration device may be sampled by a tracking device as the registration device is moved within the anatomical region through the catheter. The sampled position data is registered to the image data to register the path of the conduit to the anatomical region of interest. The same or a similar device may be used to dynamically reference the movements affecting the anatomical region and modify the registration in real time. The registration may also be verified.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 544,344, filed Feb. 17, 2004; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 605,139 filed Aug. 30, 2004; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 626,422, filed Nov. 10, 2004; and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No 60 / 626,488, filed Nov. 10, 2004, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to methods and devices for registering an anatomical region with images of the anatomical region, verifying registration of an anatomical region, and dynamically referencing the anatomical region. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Image Guided Surgery (IGS), also known as “frameless stereotaxy” has been used for many years to precisely locate and position therapeutic or medical measurement devices in the human body. Proper localization including position and orientation of these devices i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025] As used herein, an anatomical region of a patient may include one or more organs, tissues, systems, cavities, and / or other regions (including regions having soft tissue and / or deformable bodies) of a human being or other animal. In one embodiment, the invention may use a conduit within the anatomical region to, inter alia, aid in providing image information and position information from within the anatomical region. This conduit may supply sufficient coordinate information regarding the anatomical region to be used for registration of the anatomical region. For example, a coronary artery surrounding the heart may provide sufficient topographical coordinate information regarding the heart to be used as a conduit for registration by a method of the invention.

[0032] In some embodiments, the registration device may include one or more features typically found in guidewires used in medical procedures such as, for example, a tapered tip, a hydrophilic coating (or other type of coating), safety or torque transmission, stiffening and / or support structures, metal filar tube windings (such as, for example, a helical spring winding, braided or twisted filars etc.), or other elements. In some embodiments, the distal tip portion of the registration device may contain malleable material, enabling the shape of the tip to be manually adjusted during a medical procedure. In some embodiments, the distal tip of the registration device may be closed or may contain a plug to prevent material seeping into the device.

[0047] The referencing device may include one or more position indicating elements along its length. In some embodiments, these position indicating elements may be different from the position indicating elements used for other purposes, as such, they may also be referred to as referencing position indicating elements. The position indicating elements may enable the location, position, orientation, and / or coordinates of one or more points of reference of the referencing device to be detected by a tracking device as they exist within the fixed frame of reference of the tracking device. As such, the position indicating elements may enable detection of the location, position, orientation, coordinates and / or motion over time of one or more points of reference within an anatomical region of a patient.

Problems solved by technology

However, these optical tracking devices suffer from line-of-site constraints, among other things.

One disadvantage, however, is that electromagnetic tracking devices are subject to interference from ferromagnetic materials and conductors.

This interference may degrade accuracy when such ferromagnetic materials or conductors are placed in the proximity of position indicating elements or EM tracking devices.

There are many difficulties and problems in image guided surgery and the prior techniques.

Paired-point registration is less-attractive when the anatomical object is either inaccessible, non-rigid, or both.

Registration and referencing of non-rigid and / or moving organs such as the liver, gall bladder, stomach, pancreas, kidney, lung, colon, heart, prostate gland, etc. is a difficult task.

Furthermore, it is difficult to attach any kind of dynamic reference to a soft moving object.

Techniques using ultrasound are complicated by different sound velocities and attenuation from different tissues.

However, problems still exist since multiple dynamic references must be temporarily fixed to a deformable anatomical object.

Another limitation of current dynamic referencing techniques stems from the use of reference sensors.

In the event that they are attached some distance from the site of intervention / procedure, or attached to a non-rigid object, the motion of the dynamic reference may not accurately track the motion at the site of intervention / procedure.

Another limitation of current image guided surgery techniques may include the difficulty of verifying that a registration has been performed correctly.

This technique suffers from the same issues as registration itself in soft tissue, e.g., deformation of soft tissue during verification, access to the tissue, paucity of verification landmarks, and other problems.

A further limitation of current approaches is the amount of fluoroscopy that must be used to correctly position the therapy device in the event that image guided surgery is not used.

These land other problems exist.

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