Imaging diagnosis apparatus having needling navigation control system and a needling navigation controlling method

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging diagnosis apparatus and a method for supporting safe and exact puncturing operation into a target region in a living body of a patient are provided. In the ultrasound imaging diagnosis apparatus, a regions setting unit sets a target tumor region for puncturing and blood vessel regions and organ region that are located near the tumor region based on the volume data acquired by 3-D scans on the object. To avoid insertions into the blood vessel regions and organ region, a puncturing needle position detecting unit detects the tip position and the inserting direction of the puncturing needle at just before and during insertion into the object. An expected inserting position calculating unit calculates an expected inserting position and an insertion error region to the tumor region based on the tip position data, inserting direction data and characteristic data of the puncturing needle. A puncturing navigation data generating unit generates a puncturing navigation data by composing the tumor region data, the organ region and blood vessel regions data, and the data relating to the expected inserting position and the insertion error region.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from, and the benefit of, Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-303040, filed on Nov. 22, 2007, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an imaging diagnosis apparatus, such as an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a computer tomography (CT) apparatus, having a needling navigation control system and a needling navigation controlling method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an imaging diagnosis apparatus and a needling navigation controlling method that can accurately and safely navigate an invasive instrument, such as a puncturing needle, into a diagnostic target organ in the body of an object with monitoring 3-D images of the target organ and surrounding tissues such as the blood vessels that are acquired by an imaging diagnosis apparatus.[0004]2....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]According to the imaging diagnosis apparatus and the needling navigation method consistent with the present invention, since the puncturing needle can be always navigated along the eye direction while unevenness of tissues exist along the inserting direction, it becomes possible to accurately and safely insert the puncturing needle into the tumor portion with avoiding any injuring of the surrounding blood vessels and other organs existing the target tumor portion in the body of an object. Thus, the imaging diagnosis apparatus and the method consistent with the present invention can significantly improve the efficiency and the safety of puncturing diagnostic examinations and treatments by the insertion of a puncturing needle. Further, according to the imaging diagnosis apparatus consistent with the present invention, it can significantly reduce the burdens of the puncturing operators.

Problems solved by technology

However, during insertion of the puncturing needle, it is not unusual to shift the inserting direction of the puncturing needle from a prescribed slice plane for acquiring image data due to unevenness of living body tissues existing along the insertion route, i.e., differences among muscle portions and fatty portions.

In such a case, the proposed conventional techniques could not confirm the inserting status of the puncturing needle on the 2-D image data.

Consequently, it has difficult to accurately insert the puncturing needle into the tumor portion without injuring the surrounding tissues of the tumor portion such as the blood vessels and other organs.

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