Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-21
2004-01-06
Jaworski, Francis J. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C128S920000, C128S922000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675032
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to surgical systems in general, and more particularly to surgical targeting systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many medical procedures must be carried out at an interior 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 procedure itself. These scanning devices typically include MRI devices, CT scanners, X-ray machines, ultrasound devices and the like, and serve to provide the physician with a preliminary knowledge of the patient's internal anatomical structure prior to commencing the procedure. The physician can then use this information to plan the procedure in advance, taking into account patient-specific anatomical structure. In addition, the physician can also use the information obtained from these scans to more precisely identify the location of selected structures (e.g. tumors and the like) which may themselves be located within internal organs or other internal body structures. As a result, the physician can more easily “zero in” on such selected structures during the subsequent procedure, with less trauma to host organs or other internal body structures. Furthermore, in many cases the structures of interest may be quite small and difficult to identify with the naked eye. In these cases, preliminary scanning of the patient's internal anatomy using high resolution scanning devices can help the physician locate such structures during the subsequent procedure.
In general, scanning devices of the sort described above tend to generate a series of two-dimensional (i.e., “2-D”) images of the patient's anatomical structure. For example, CT scanners generate 2-D images which are viewed directly by the physician. By viewing a plurality of these 2-D images, the physician can mentally generate a three-dimensional (i.e., “3-D”) sense of the patient's anatomical structure.
Some scanning devices create large numbers of 2-D images during the scanning process, with each 2-D image representing a plane or slice taken through the scanned structure. Furthermore, some scanning devices also have associated computer hardware and software for building a 3-D computer model of the patient's scanned structure using a plurality of these 2-D images. For example, some MRI devices and some CT scanners have such associated computer hardware and software. In these cases, an operator using this scanning equipment and associated computer hardware and software can create a number of 2-D images, assemble them into a 3-D computer model of the scanned structure, and then generate various images of that 3-D computer model as seen from various angles so as to enhance understanding of the patient's anatomical structure.
While the information generated by the aforementioned scanning devices is generally of great benefit to physicians, certain significant limitations still exist. For one thing, it can be very difficult for a physician to physically locate a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure, even when that structure is readily identifiable in a scanned image. This may be because the structure is very small and difficult to see with the naked eye, or because it is not readily visible against a particular background, or because it is itself located within an internal organ or other internal body structure, etc. For another thing, even when the structure of interest is successfully located by the physician, it can sometimes still be extremely difficult for the physician to reliably direct a medical instrument to that structure. This may be because the structure is quite small and difficult to target accurately, or because intervening body structure mandates a complex approach, etc.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a surgical targeting system to facilitate locating a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system to facilitate locating a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a series of patient-specific 2-D images (obtained by scanning patient anatomy using one or more scanning devices of the type described above) to be assembled into a 3-D computer model of the patient's scanned structure.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to view the aforementioned patient-specific 2-D images on a display in any desired access sequence.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to assemble a series of patient-specific 2-D images into a patient-specific database, and then to generate virtual images from the aforementioned patient-specific database, as seen from any desired virtual camera position, for viewing on a display.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to generate virtual images from the aforementioned 3-D computer model, as seen from any desired virtual camera position, for viewing on a display.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing one or more of the aforementioned patient-specific 2-D images, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate 3-D positions when generating virtual images of the 3-D computer model.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing virtual images of the 3-D computer model, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate positions when generating subsequent virtual images of the 3-D computer model.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing virtual images of the 3-D computer model, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model and into the database of 2-D images, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate positions when subsequently generating virtual images of the 3-D computer model or when subsequently displaying 2-D images from the patient-specific database.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be displayed to a physician, and which permits a virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model to be displayed to a physician, according to the directive of the physician.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be appropriately merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be appropriately merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be in registration with one another.
Still another object of the pre
Chen David T.
McKenna Michael A.
Pieper Steven D.
Jaworski Francis J.
Medical Media Systems
Pandiscio & Pandiscio
Qaderi Runa S.
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