Image analysis – Applications – Biomedical applications
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-11
2004-10-05
Patel, Jayanti K. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Applications
Biomedical applications
C382S288000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06801643
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to medical apparatus in general, and more particularly to anatomical visualization systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many medical procedures must be carried out at an interior anatomical site which is normally hidden from the view of the physician. In these situations, the physician typically uses some sort of scanning device to examine the patient's anatomy at the interior site prior to, and in preparation for, conducting the actual medical procedure. Such scanning devices typically include CT scanners, MRI devices, X-ray machines, ultrasound devices and the like, and essentially serve to provide the physician with some sort of visualization of the patient's interior anatomical structure prior to commencing the actual medical procedure. The physician can then use this information to plan the medical procedure in advance, taking into account patient-specific anatomical structure. In addition, the physician can also use the information obtained from such preliminary scanning to more precisely identify the location of selected structures (e.g., tumors and the like) which may themselves be located within the interior of internal organs or other internal body structures. As a result, the physician can more easily “zero in” on such selected structures during the subsequent medical procedure. Furthermore, in many cases, the anatomical structures of interest to the physician may be quite small and/or difficult to identify with the naked eye. In these situations, preliminary scanning of the patient's interior anatomical structure using high resolution scanning devices can help the physician locate the structures of interest during the subsequent medical procedure.
In addition to the foregoing, scanning devices of the sort described above are frequently also used in purely diagnostic procedures.
In general, scanning devices of the sort described above tend to generate two-dimensional (i.e., “2-D”) images of the patient's anatomical structure. In many cases, the scanning devices are adapted to provide a set of 2-D images, with each 2-D image in the set being related to every other 2-D image in the set according to some pre-determined relationship. For example, CT scanners typically generate a series of 2-D images, with each 2-D image corresponding to a specific plane or “slice” taken through the patient's anatomical structure. Furthermore, with many scanning devices, the angle and spacing between adjacent image planes or slices is very well defined, e.g., each image plane or slice may be set parallel to every other image plane or slice, and adjacent image planes or slices may be spaced a pre-determined distance apart. By way of example, the parallel image planes might be set 1 mm apart.
In a system of the sort just described, the physician can view each 2-D image individually and, by viewing a series of 2-D images in proper sequence, can mentally generate a three-dimensional (i.e., “3-D”) impression of the patient's interior anatomical structure.
Some scanning devices include, as part of their basic system, associated computer hardware and software for building a 3-D database of the patient's scanned anatomical structure using a plurality of the aforementioned 2-D images. For example, some CT and MRI scanners include such associated computer hardware and software as part of their basic system. Alternatively, such associated computer hardware and software may be provided independently of the scanning devices, as a sort of “add-on” to the system; in this case, the data from the scanned 2-D images is fed from the scanning device to the associated computer hardware and software in a separate step. In either case, a trained operator using the scanning device can create a set of scanned 2-D images, assemble the data from these scanned 2-D images into a 3-D database of the scanned anatomical structure, and then generate various additional images of the scanned anatomical structure using the 3-D database. This feature is a very powerful tool, since it essentially permits a physician to view the patient's scanned anatomical structure from a wide variety of different viewing positions. As a result, the physician's understanding of the patient's scanned anatomical structure is generally greatly enhanced.
In addition, these systems often include software and/or hardware tools to allow measurements to be made, e.g., the length of lines drawn on the image may be calculated.
While the 2-D slice images generated by the aforementioned scanning devices, and/or the 3-D database images generated by the aforementioned associated computer hardware and software, are generally of great benefit to physicians, certain significant limitations still exist.
For one thing, with current systems, each scanned 2-D slice image is displayed as a separate and distinct image, and each image generated from the 3-D database is displayed as a separate and distinct image. Unfortunately, physicians can sometimes have difficulty correlating what they see on a particular scanned 2-D slice image with what they see on a particular image generated from the 3-D database.
For another thing, in many situations a physician may be viewing images of a patient's scanned anatomical structure in preparation for conducting a subsequent medical procedure in which a prosthetic device must be fitted in the patient. In these situations it can be relatively difficult and/or time-consuming for the physician to accurately measure and record all of the anatomical dimensions needed for proper sizing of the prosthetic device to the patient. By way of example, in certain situations a patient may develop an abdominal aortic aneurysm (“AAA”) in the vicinity of the aorta's iliac branching, and replacement of the affected vascular structure may be indicated. In this case it is extremely important for the physician to determine, for each affected portion of blood vessel, accurate length and cross-sectional dimensions to ensure proper sizing of the replacement prosthesis to the patient. Such anatomical measurement and recordation can be difficult and/or time-consuming with existing visualization systems. This has proven to be particulary true when dealing with anatomical structures which have a tortuous path or branching structure, e.g., blood vessels.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system wherein a scanned 2-D slice image can be appropriately combined with an image generated from a 3-D database so as to create a single composite image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system wherein a marker can be placed onto a 2-D slice image displayed on a screen, and this marker will be automatically incorporated, as appropriate, into a 3-D computer model maintained by the system, as well as into any other 2-D slice image data maintained by the system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system wherein a margin of pre-determined size can be associated with a marker of the sort described above, and further wherein the margin will be automatically incorporated into the 3-D computer model, and into any other 2-D slice image data, in association with that marker.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system wherein the periphery of objects contained in a 3-D computer model maintained by the system can be automatically identified in any 2-D slice image data maintained by the system, wherein the periphery of such objects can be highlighted as appropriate in 2-D slice images displayed by the system.
And another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for visualizing anatomical structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system wherein patient-specific anatomical dimensions may be easily and quickly determined.
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Medical Media Systems
Pandiscio & Pandiscio P.C.
Patel Jayanti K.
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