Combined radiationless automated three dimensional patient habitus imaging with scintigraphy

Abstract

An apparatus and method to map the body habitus, without the use of ionizing radiation, and to simultaneously track the position of an ionizing radiation imaging detector with respect to the body habitus map so that the radiotracer distribution of the patient can be fused with the body habitus map and thus provide an anatomical reference for the radiotracer distribution within the patient. A depth camera, capable of imaging a 3-dimensional surface, is attached to an ionizing radiation imaging detector where the relative position between the two is known.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of radiation guided interventions. More specifically, the present invention relates to intraoperative tumor imaging and components and methods for providing surgical guidance for sentinel lymph node biopsy and using radiotracers to localize occult cancerous lesions. Background technique [0002] Intraoperative visualization of target lesions with anatomical registration can reduce the time and invasiveness of surgical procedures, resulting in cost savings and a reduction in surgical complications. Currently available gamma ray surgical guidance tools include gamma ray sensitive non-imaging "probes". These non-imaging gamma-ray probes are similar in appearance to typical Geiger counters. Most modern non-imaging gamma-ray probes have enhanced directional response (unlike Geiger counters) to allow the surgeon to point to structures of interest, and feature a user interface that generates specialized ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This approach has the following disadvantages: 1) lymphoscintigraphy-shadow map is only accurate if the patient is positioned for surgery during imaging, which is uncommon due to surgical visit requirements, 2) gamma camera setup The field of view of the detector must be large enough to overlap body contours, which may prevent its optimal and close placement to the patient, 3) background radiation from flood sources may reduce the contrast of the radiotracer distribution, making faint nodes in the lymph nodes More difficult to detect in scintigraphy

Some gamma camera devices can take tens to hundreds of seconds to acquire an image

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