Historical ultrasound data for displaying real-time position data

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Historical Ultrasound Data for Displaying Real-Time Position Data." Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and systems for use in a medical procedure, comprising receiving a first ultrasound slice from an ultrasound transducer, the first ultrasound slice corresponding to a first ultrasound position. Receiving a second ultrasound slice from the ultrasound transducer, the second ultrasound slice corresponding to a second ultrasound position. Storing the first ultrasound slice and the second ultrasound slice in a memory. Receiving a first catheter position of a catheter. Determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position, and providing the first ultrasound slice based on the determination. Determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position can be based on position, orientation, or the number of voxels that overlap between the first catheter position and the ultrasound position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application provides systems, devices, and methods for improving medical procedures. Background Art

[0002] Medical conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), are often diagnosed and treated through in vivo procedures. For example, pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) from the body of the left atrium (LA) is performed using ablation to treat AF. Pulmonary vein isolation and many other minimally invasive catheterization procedures require real-time visualization and mapping of in vivo surfaces.

[0003] Visualization of internal body surfaces can be performed by mapping the propagation of activation waves. Fluoroscopy, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), among other techniques, may require more time or resources than desired to provide visualization and mapping. Additionally, graphical renderings used to visualize internal body surfaces may not include a sufficient amount of detail compared to other visualization modalities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein for a medical procedure include receiving a first ultrasound slice from an ultrasound transducer, the first ultrasound slice corresponding to a first ultrasound position; receiving a second ultrasound slice from the ultrasound transducer, the second ultrasound slice corresponding to a second ultrasound position; storing the first ultrasound slice and the second ultrasound slice in a memory; receiving a first catheter position of a catheter; determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position, and providing the first ultrasound slice based on the determination. Determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position can be based on position, orientation, or the number of voxels that overlap between the first catheter position and the ultrasound position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] A more detailed understanding may be obtained from the following description given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0006] Figure 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system in which one or more features of the presently disclosed subject matter may be implemented;

[0007] Figure 2 A flow chart for providing ultrasound slices based on the position of a catheter;

[0008] Figure 3A is a diagram of an ultrasound transducer collecting ultrasound slices at various orientations;

[0009] Figure 3B For the location corresponding to Figure 3A a diagram of the catheter at various positions of the position;

[0010] Figure 4 is another flow chart for providing ultrasound slices based on the position of a catheter;

[0011] Figure 5A is a diagram showing ultrasound slices intersecting with voxels in three-dimensional space.

[0012] Figure 5B for Figure 5A horizontal cross-section of

[0013] Figure 5C for Figure 5A a vertical cross-section of

[0014] Figure 6 Illustration of a catheter slice based on an imaginary sector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Depending on the implementation of the disclosed subject matter, previously acquired ultrasound slices of a region of an organ can be displayed based on the current position of the catheter.

[0016] Multiple ultrasound slices can be acquired and stored in a memory. Multiple ultrasound slices can be acquired using an ultrasound transducer when the ultrasound transducer is in multiple corresponding ultrasound transducer positions, the ultrasound transducer traversing different parts of the organ and acquiring multiple ultrasound slices. After acquiring and storing the multiple ultrasound slices using the ultrasound transducer, a catheter can be inserted into the organ. The position of the catheter can be determined and can include a catheter position and a catheter orientation. Alternatively, if the catheter is an ultrasound transducer that collects ultrasound slices from the position of the catheter, the position of the catheter can be determined and can be based on voxels that can be occupied by the ultrasound slices. For clarity, as disclosed herein, the current position of the catheter in real time can be determined based on the catheter position and the catheter orientation, or alternatively, can be determined based on the occupied voxels.

[0017] The position of the catheter can be compared to a plurality of ultrasound positions corresponding to a plurality of ultrasound slices. A first ultrasound position can be determined to correspond to the position of the catheter, and a first ultrasound slice can be selected. The selected ultrasound slice can be provided for display. Notably, the selected ultrasound slice can display a region of the organ corresponding to the current position of the catheter, enabling a healthcare professional to visually review the region of the organ corresponding to the current position of the catheter by being provided with a previously stored ultrasound slice.

[0018] Figure 1is an illustration of an exemplary mapping system 20 that may implement one or more features of the presently disclosed subject matter. The mapping system 20 may include a device configured to obtain biometric data or ultrasound slices, such as a catheter 40a and an ultrasound transducer 40b, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Although the catheter 40a is shown as a pointed catheter, it should be understood that any shape of catheter including one or more elements (e.g., electrodes) may be used to implement exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The mapping system 20 includes a probe 21 having an axis 22a and an axis 22b that may be navigated by a medical professional 30 to a body part, such as a heart 26, of a patient 28 lying on a bed 29. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, multiple probes may be provided such that a first probe is connected to the catheter 40a and a different probe is connected to the ultrasound transducer 40b. However, for the sake of brevity, a single probe 21 is described herein, but it should be understood that the probe 21 may represent multiple probes. As Figure 1 As shown, a medical professional 30 can insert shaft 22a and / or shaft 22b through sheath 23 while manipulating the distal ends of shaft 22a and / or shaft 22b using manipulator 32 near the proximal ends of catheter 40a and / or ultrasound transducer 40b and / or from deflection of sheath 23. As shown in inset 25, catheter 40a and / or ultrasound transducer 40b can be mounted at the distal ends of shaft 22a and shaft 22b, respectively. Catheter 40a and / or ultrasound transducer 40b can be inserted through sheath 23 in a collapsed state and then expanded within heart 26.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, ultrasound transducer 40b can be configured to obtain ultrasound slices of a chamber of heart 26. Inset 45 shows an enlarged view of ultrasound transducer 40b within a chamber of heart 26. As shown, ultrasound transducer 40b can be attached to shaft 22b.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, catheter 40a can be configured to obtain biometric data from a chamber of heart 26. Illustration 45 shows catheter 40a in a magnified view within a chamber of heart 26. As shown, catheter 40 can include a tip element 48 coupled to the body of the catheter. According to other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, multiple elements can be connected via a strip that forms the shape of catheter 40a. Element 48 can be any element configured to obtain biometric data and can be an electrode, a transducer, or one or more other elements.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the biometric data may include one or more of LAT, electrical activity, topology, bipolar mapping, dominant frequency, impedance, etc. The local excitation time may be a time point corresponding to the threshold activity of the local excitation calculated based on a normalized initial starting point. The electrical activity may be any applicable electrical signal that can be measured based on one or more thresholds and can be sensed and / or enhanced based on a signal-to-noise ratio and / or other filters. The topology may correspond to the physical structure of a body part or a portion of a body part, and may correspond to changes in the physical structure relative to different parts of the body part or relative to different body parts. The dominant frequency may be a frequency or frequency range that is prevalent in a part of the body part and may be different in different parts of the same body part. For example, the dominant frequency of the pulmonary veins of a heart may be different from the dominant frequency of the right atrium of the same heart. Impedance may be a measurement of resistance at a given area of ​​a body part.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the probe 21, ultrasound transducer 40b, and catheter 40a can be connected to a console 24. The console 24 can include a processor 41 (such as a general-purpose computer) having a suitable front end and interface circuitry 38 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the catheter 40a and ultrasound transducer 40b and controlling other components of the mapping system 20. In some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the processor 41 can also be configured to receive biometric data and generate rendering data for global and local views based on the biometric data, as further disclosed herein. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the rendering data can be used to provide a rendering of one or more body parts (e.g., body part rendering 35) to the medical professional 30 on a display 27. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the processor can be located external to the console 24 and can be located, for example, in the catheter, in an external device, in a mobile device, in a cloud-based device, or can be a standalone processor. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasound transducer 40b can provide ultrasound slices that can be stored in a memory 42, as further disclosed herein. The ultrasound transducer 40 b may provide the ultrasound slices directly to the memory 42 , or the ultrasound slices may be provided to the processor 41 and the processor 41 may provide the ultrasound slices to the memory 42 .

[0023] As described above, the processor 41 may comprise a general purpose computer that may be programmed with software to perform the functions described herein. The software may be downloaded to the general purpose computer in electronic form, for example, over a network, or may alternatively or additionally be provided and / or stored on a non-transitory tangible medium, such as magnetic, optical, or electronic memory. Figure 1The exemplary configuration shown in FIG can be modified to implement exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can similarly be applied using other system components and configurations. In addition, the mapping system 20 can include additional components, such as elements for sensing biometric patient data, wired or wireless connectors, processing and display devices, etc.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display connected to the processor (e.g., processor 41) can be located at a remote location, such as at a separate hospital or within a separate healthcare provider network. Additionally, the mapping system 20 can be part of a surgical system configured to obtain anatomical and electrical measurements of an organ (such as the heart) of a patient and to perform a cardiac ablation procedure. An example of such a surgical system is sold by Biosense Webster. system.

[0025] The mapping system 20 may also and optionally use ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or other medical imaging techniques known in the art to obtain biometric data, such as anatomical measurements of the patient's heart. The mapping system 20 may use a catheter, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other sensor that measures electrical properties of the heart to obtain electrical measurements. Figure 1 As shown, the biometric data, including the anatomical and electrical measurements, can then be stored in the memory 42 of the mapping system 20. The biometric data can be transmitted from the memory 42 to the processor 41. Alternatively or in addition, the biometric data can be transmitted to a server 60, which can be local or remote, using a network 62. Similarly, the ultrasound slices can be transmitted to the server 60, which can be local or remote, using the network 62.

[0026] The network 62 can be any network or system known in the art, such as an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a direct connection or a series of connections, a cellular telephone network, or any other network or medium capable of facilitating communication between the mapping system 20 and the server 60. The network 62 can be wired, wireless, or a combination thereof. A wired connection can be achieved using Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB), RJ-11, or any other wired connection known in the art. A wireless connection can be achieved using Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and Bluetooth, infrared, cellular networks, satellite, or any other wireless connection method known in the art. In addition, several networks can work alone or communicate with each other to facilitate communication in the network 62.

[0027] In some cases, server 60 may be implemented as a physical server. In other cases, server 60 may be implemented as a server hosted by a public cloud computing provider (e.g., Amazon Web Services). ) virtual server.

[0028] The console 24 can be connected to the body surface electrodes 43 via cables 39, which can include adhesive skin patches attached to the patient 28. The processor, in combination with the current tracking module, can determine the position coordinates of the catheter 40a and the ultrasound transducer 40b within the patient's body part (e.g., the heart 26). The position coordinates can include the position and orientation of the catheter 40a and the ultrasound transducer 40b. The position coordinates can be based on the impedance or electromagnetic field measured between the body surface electrodes 43 and the electrodes 48 or other electromagnetic components of the catheter 40a. Similarly, the position coordinates can be based on the impedance or electromagnetic field measured between the body surface electrodes 43 and the ultrasound transducer 40b. In addition or alternatively, the positioning pad can be located on the surface of the bed 29 and can be separated from the bed 29. The position coordinates can be based on the impedance or electromagnetic field measured between the electrodes 48 and / or components of the ultrasound transducer 40b.

[0029] The processor 41 may include real-time noise reduction circuitry, typically configured as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), followed by an analog-to-digital (A / D) ECG (electrocardiogram) or EMG (electromyogram) signal conversion integrated circuit. The processor 41 may pass signals from the A / D ECG or EMG circuitry to another processor and / or may be programmed to perform one or more functions disclosed herein.

[0030] The console 24 may also include an input / output (I / O) communication interface that enables the console to transmit signals from and / or to the electrodes 48 and / or the ultrasonic transducer 40b and the electrodes 43 or the positioning pad. Based on the signals received from the electrodes 48, the ultrasonic transducer 40b, and / or the electrodes 43, the processor 41 may generate rendering data (such as the body part rendering 35) that enables a display (such as the display 27) to render a body part.

[0031] During a procedure, the processor 41 can facilitate presentation of a body part rendering 35 and / or ultrasound slices 37 to the medical professional 30 on the display 27 and store data representing the body part rendering 35 and ultrasound slices 37 in the memory 42. The memory 42 can include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as random access memory or a hard drive. In some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the medical professional 30 can manipulate the body part rendering 35 and / or ultrasound slices 37 using one or more input devices (such as a touchpad, mouse, keyboard, gesture recognition device, etc.). For example, the input device can be used to change the orientation of the catheter 40a, causing the rendering 35 to be updated and different ultrasound slices 37 to be provided based on the updated orientation, as disclosed herein. In alternative exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the display 27 can include a touch screen that can be configured to accept input from the medical professional 30 in addition to presenting the body part rendering 35 and ultrasound 37 (including global and local views).

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound transducer can be configured to collect ultrasound slices at various locations within an organ in the body. Figure 1 The ultrasonic transducer 40b is the same or similar to the ultrasonic transducer 40b. The ultrasonic transducer can be inserted into an organ in the body, such as Figure 1 26. More specifically, the ultrasound transducer can be inserted into a chamber of an organ in the body, such as a cardiac cavity of the heart 26. The ultrasound transducer can be configured to automatically acquire ultrasound slices at predetermined time intervals (e.g., one ultrasound slice per millisecond), or can be configured to acquire ultrasound slices based on the orientation and / or movement of the ultrasound transducer. For example, the ultrasound transducer can be configured to acquire at most a given number of ultrasound slices (e.g., three ultrasound slices) based on each orientation of the ultrasound transducer. Thus, the ultrasound transducer can be configured to acquire multiple ultrasound slices for each ultrasound transducer orientation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a processor such as Figure 1 The processor 41 can be configured to select a single ultrasound slice from a plurality of ultrasound slices at the same ultrasound position. The processor can select the single ultrasound slice based on one or more factors, such as ultrasound slice quality, ultrasound transducer stability when collecting the ultrasound slice, signal-to-noise ratio, etc. For example, ultrasound slice quality can be determined based on the detected boundary of an organ within the slice compared to the free space (e.g., blood pool) of the organ within the slice. Based on the selections and factors described herein, a first ultrasound slice can be replaced with a second ultrasound at the same ultrasound position.

[0033] As used herein, ultrasound orientation can correspond to ultrasound transducer orientation or ultrasound slice orientation, as further described herein. The ultrasound transducer orientation can be the orientation of the ultrasound transducer when acquiring a given ultrasound slice. The ultrasound transducer orientation can include ultrasound transducer position (e.g., coordinates) and ultrasound transducer orientation (e.g., angle), as further disclosed herein. The ultrasound slice orientation can correspond to the area, volume, or voxel occupied by the ultrasound slice. As used herein, catheter orientation can correspond to catheter position (e.g., coordinates) and orientation (e.g., angle), or can correspond to catheter slice orientation, as further disclosed herein.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer position or catheter position may include the position and orientation of the corresponding ultrasonic transducer or catheter. The position (i.e., ultrasonic transducer position or catheter position) may be stored as or include coordinates, which may be expressed as Cartesian coordinates, polar coordinates, voxel coordinates, or any other applicable coordinates, or a combination thereof. The position may be relative to a reference point, which may be located inside the body, inside an internal organ, inside an internal organ chamber, or outside the body. The position may be based on information from an ultrasonic transducer, catheter, body surface electrodes (e.g., Figure 1 The position of the patient is determined by signals (e.g., electromagnetic signals) from body surface electrodes 43), positioning pads, or other position-based components.

[0035] The orientation can be based on a reference point (e.g., the tip) of the ultrasonic transducer or catheter, such that the orientation indicates the direction in which the reference point of the ultrasonic transducer and / or catheter is facing. It should be understood that although reference points are specifically listed herein, the reference point can be a collection of points, such as a line. The reference point can be any part of the ultrasonic transducer or catheter, such as a distal point, a proximal point, or any other applicable point. The orientation can be stored as or include an angle, phase, direction, axis, inclination, or a combination thereof.

[0036] Figure 2 A process flow diagram 200 is shown for providing a previously stored ultrasound slice from a plurality of previously stored ultrasound slices based on the position of a catheter.

[0037] exist Figure 2 At step 210 of the illustrated process, a first ultrasound slice may be received from the ultrasound transducer when the ultrasound transducer is in a first ultrasound transducer orientation. The first ultrasound slice acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in the first orientation may be one of a plurality of slices acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in the first orientation. As disclosed herein, the processor may designate a single ultrasound slice from the plurality of ultrasound slices as the first ultrasound slice for a given ultrasound orientation based on one or more of ultrasound slice quality, ultrasound transducer stability when the ultrasound slice was collected, a signal-to-noise ratio, and the like.

[0038] Figure 3A An example diagram of a heart chamber 300 is shown with an ultrasound transducer 310 in a plurality of orientations 310a, 310b, and 310c. Figure 3A As shown, and according to Figure 2 In step 210 of the process shown, when the ultrasound transducer is in a first ultrasound transducer position 310a, a first ultrasound slice 321a may be received from the ultrasound transducer 310. The first ultrasound transducer position 310a may be represented by a position (e.g., coordinates) and an orientation (e.g., angle and inclination) such that the slice 321a is associated with the first ultrasound transducer position 310a.

[0039] exist Figure 2 At step 220 of the process shown, the first ultrasound slice and the first ultrasound transducer position corresponding to the first ultrasound slice may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as Figure 1 The first ultrasound slice may be stored as an image type file, a video type file, or any other file that enables the first ultrasound slice to be rendered at a certain moment after the first ultrasound slice is acquired by the ultrasound transducer. The first ultrasound transducer position may be stored in the same file or file group that includes the first ultrasound slice, or may be stored in a separate storage location different from the first ultrasound slice, such that the stored first ultrasound transducer position and the first ultrasound slice are associated with each other in any applicable manner, such as by a pointer, a lookup table, etc. Figure 3A In the example provided in FIG, the first ultrasound slice 321a and the first ultrasound transducer position 310a may be stored in a memory.

[0040] exist Figure 2 At step 230 of the process shown, a second ultrasound slice may be received from the ultrasound transducer when the ultrasound transducer is in the second ultrasound transducer orientation. The second ultrasound slice acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in the second orientation may be one of a plurality of slices acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in the second orientation, as disclosed herein. A single slice from the plurality of slices acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in the second orientation may be designated as the second ultrasound slice. Figure 3A As shown, and according to Figure 2 In step 230 of the process shown, a second ultrasound slice 321 b may be received from the ultrasound transducer 310 when the ultrasound transducer is in the second ultrasound transducer position 310 b. The second ultrasound transducer position 310 b may be represented by a position (e.g., coordinates) and an orientation (e.g., angle and inclination) such that the slice 321 b is associated with the first ultrasound transducer position 310 b.

[0041] exist Figure 2At step 240 of the process shown, the second ultrasound slice and the second ultrasound transducer position corresponding to the second ultrasound slice may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as a memory card in a manner similar to that disclosed with respect to step 220. Figure 1 Although steps 210 to 240 disclose a first ultrasound slice and a second ultrasound slice for simplicity, it should be understood that one or more additional ultrasound slices may be acquired and stored. Figure 3A As shown, an ultrasound slice 321 c may be acquired when the ultrasound transducer 310 is in the ultrasound transducer position 310 c , and corresponding data may be stored in a memory.

[0042] exist Figure 2 At step 250 of the process shown, a first catheter position corresponding to an intracorporeal catheter may be received. Figure 1 The first catheter position may be the same as or similar to the catheter 40a of the embodiment and may be inserted into the body cavity while the ultrasound transducer is in the body cavity or after the ultrasound transducer is removed from the body cavity. The first catheter position may be received via any suitable means, including via electromagnetic signals between electrodes on the catheter and a positioning pad, electromagnetic signals between electrodes on the catheter and body electrodes, etc. The first catheter position may include a position and an orientation, as disclosed herein. Depending on the specific implementation of this exemplary embodiment, the first catheter position may have the same Figure 2 The first catheter positions may be in the same format as the ultrasound transducer positions stored at steps 220 and 240. According to another implementation, the first catheter positions may have a different format than the ultrasound transducer positions stored at steps 220 and 240, but may be converted so that they can be correlated with the format of the ultrasound transducer positions stored at steps 220 and 240.

[0043] Figure 3B A diagram showing a catheter 311 with various orientations 311a, 311b, and 311c is shown. Figure 3A An example diagram of a heart chamber 300 is shown. Figure 3B As shown, and according to Figure 2 The process shown may be performed at step 250 to receive the position of the catheter when the catheter is in the first position 311a. The position of the catheter may be updated at predetermined intervals or based on detection of movement of the catheter.

[0044] exist Figure 2At step 260 of the illustrated process, it may be determined that the first catheter position received at step 250 corresponds to the first ultrasound transducer position received at step 210 and stored at step 220. Although, for simplicity, the first catheter position received at step 250 is described as corresponding to the first ultrasound transducer position received at step 210, it will be appreciated that the catheter position may correspond to any of the ultrasound transducer positions.

[0045] Determining whether the first catheter position received at step 250 corresponds to the first ultrasound transducer position can be based on comparing the received catheter position (i.e., step 250) with the stored ultrasound transducer positions (i.e., steps 220 and 240). According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the catheter position can be received in the same format as the stored ultrasound transducer positions. For example, the catheter position can include the catheter position, which can be received as a set of coordinates, and can also include the catheter orientation, which can be received as an angle and an inclination. For example, the catheter position can include the x, y, and z coordinates (4 mm, 8 mm, 1 mm) of the position relative to a coordinate reference point (such as an external patch or a region within an internal organ). The catheter position can include a 44-degree horizontal angle corresponding to a reference point (e.g., the tip) of the catheter and a 14-degree inclination corresponding to a vertical angle relative to the reference point of the catheter. According to this example, the catheter position can be represented as (4, 8, 1, 44, 14). At step 260, the catheter position can be compared with multiple ultrasound transducer positions, which can be in the same format. For example, the first ultrasound transducer position stored at step 220 may be (5, 8, 1, 44, 14), and the second ultrasound transducer position stored at step 240 may be (6, 8, 1, 44, 14). A calculation may be performed to determine which of the plurality of stored ultrasound transducer positions is closest to the received catheter position. Continuing with this example, since the catheter position (4, 8, 1, 44, 14) differs from the first ultrasound transducer position (5, 8, 1, 44, 14) by only 1 mm, it may be determined that the first ultrasound transducer position corresponds to the catheter position, since the second ultrasound transducer position (6, 8, 1, 44, 14) differs from the catheter position by 2 mm.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the received catheter position may be in a different format than the plurality of stored ultrasound transducer positions (e.g., polar coordinates rather than Cartesian coordinates). It should be understood that one or more of the different formats may be converted so that the two sets of positions (catheter position and ultrasound transducer position) may be compared to each other to determine which of the plurality of ultrasound transducer positions corresponds to the catheter position.

[0047] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a correlation threshold may be provided such that if the difference between the catheter position and all available ultrasound transducer positions is greater than the correlation threshold, then it is determined that no ultrasound transducer position corresponds to the catheter position. Thus, at step 270, as further disclosed herein, no ultrasound slice may be displayed. Notably, in this case, there may be no ultrasound slice that would visually display the area corresponding to the current catheter position, and therefore no ultrasound slice may be provided at step 270.

[0048] exist Figure 2 At step 270 of the process shown, an ultrasound slice (e.g., a first ultrasound slice) associated with the ultrasound transducer position (e.g., the first ultrasound transducer position) determined at step 260 to correspond to the catheter position may be provided. The ultrasound slice may be displayed via a display such as Figure 1 Alternatively, the ultrasound slices may be provided to an external display, such as via the network 62 and the server 60, so that the ultrasound slices may be displayed at a remote location.

[0049] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by Figure 4 As shown in process 400, a previously stored ultrasound slice may be selected based on the orientation of the catheter corresponding to the orientation of the ultrasound slice. Figure 4 At step 410 of the illustrated process, a first ultrasound slice having a corresponding first ultrasound slice position may be received from an ultrasound transducer.

[0050] The ultrasound slice orientation may correspond to a voxel occupied by the ultrasound slice. A voxel may be a value on a grid in a three-dimensional space, such as the three-dimensional space occupied by the interior of a body cavity, such as a cavity within the heart. A mapping system such as Figure 1 The mapping system 20 can infer the orientation of a voxel based on the orientation of the voxel relative to other voxels in the same three-dimensional space. According to this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound slice orientation can correspond to a voxel that intersects with the ultrasound slice. For clarity, the ultrasound slice can capture the shape of a region within a body cavity. The region captured by the ultrasound slice can intersect with multiple voxels within the body cavity. Each voxel in the voxel can correspond to a value or position, so that each voxel is distinguished in space from all other voxels in the space. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, all voxels that intersect with the ultrasound slice can constitute the position of the ultrasound slice itself. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, all voxels that have at least one dimension that is completely surrounded by the ultrasound slice can constitute the position of the ultrasound slice itself.

[0051] Figure 5AA three-dimensional space 500 is shown having a plurality of voxels 520 arranged in a grid pattern. It should be understood that although the three-dimensional space 500 is shown as a rectangular prism for simplicity, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using any suitable three-dimensional space, such as the shape of a cavity within the body. Figure 5A As shown, the location of an ultrasound slice 510 acquired by the ultrasound transducer 505 may be defined by the highlighted voxels 530 . Figure 5A The highlighted voxels 530 shown in correspond to all voxels that intersect the ultrasound slice 510, such that if an edge of the ultrasound slice 510 intersects any portion of a voxel, the entire voxel is used when defining the position of the ultrasound slice.

[0052] According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, not shown, when defining the position of the ultrasound slice, a voxel may be used only if at least one of its complete dimensions lies within the area occupied by the ultrasound slice.

[0053] Figure 5B Shown Figure 5A horizontal cross section. Figure 5B The horizontal cross section shown in corresponds to Figure 5A The horizontal plane 540 is also Figure 5B Reproduced in. Figure 5B As shown, the highlighted voxel 530 corresponds to the voxel intersecting the ultrasound slice 510. According to this example, the ultrasound slice 510 may be contained within the same horizontal plane 540, so that the angle of the ultrasound transducer when acquiring the ultrasound slice 540 may be 0. Therefore, Figure 5B A horizontal plane 540 is shown that includes an intersection with each of the highlighted voxels 530. It will be appreciated that an ultrasound slice may span multiple planes such that a single horizontal plane may not acquire every one of the intersecting voxels.

[0054] Figure 5C Shown Figure 5A 500, which includes a highlighted voxel 530 that intersects an ultrasound slice 510 (not shown). For reference, a horizontal plane 540 is shown as it would intersect a voxel disposed within the three-dimensional space 500.

[0055] exist Figure 4 At step 420 of the process shown, the first ultrasound slice and the first ultrasound slice position may be stored in a memory such as Figure 1The first ultrasound slice may be stored as an image type file, a video type file, or any other file that enables the first ultrasound slice to be rendered at a certain moment after the first ultrasound slice is acquired by the ultrasound transducer. The first ultrasound slice position may be stored in the same file or file group that includes the first ultrasound slice, or may be stored in a separate storage location different from the first ultrasound slice, such that the stored first ultrasound slice position and the first ultrasound slice are associated with each other in any suitable manner, such as by a pointer, a lookup table, etc. Figure 5A In the example provided in , the ultrasound slice 510 may be stored in a memory, and the ultrasound slice 510 may be associated with the stored location of the highlighted voxel 530 .

[0056] exist Figure 4 At step 430 of the illustrated process, a second ultrasound slice having a corresponding second ultrasound slice orientation may be received from the ultrasound transducer. The second ultrasound slice orientation may be defined by a different set of voxels than the first ultrasound slice orientation because the second ultrasound slice may be acquired with the ultrasound transducer in another orientation than the orientation at which the ultrasound transducer was acquired when the first ultrasound slice (as described with respect to step 410) was acquired.

[0057] exist Figure 4 At step 440 of the process shown, the second ultrasound slice and the second ultrasound slice position corresponding to the second ultrasound slice may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as a memory device in a manner similar to that disclosed with respect to step 420. Figure 1 42. Although steps 410 to 440 disclose a first ultrasound slice and a second ultrasound slice for simplicity, it should be understood that one or more additional ultrasound slices may be acquired and stored.

[0058] exist Figure 4 At step 450 of the illustrated process, a first catheter position corresponding to an in vivo catheter can be received, and the catheter position can be a catheter slice. The catheter slice can be determined based on a "hypothetical fan" derived from the catheter's position in the direction the catheter is facing. The catheter slice can be specified by voxels that intersect the hypothetical fan in a manner similar to how ultrasound slice positions are determined, as disclosed herein. The hypothetical fan can be similar to an ultrasound slice, such that if the catheter were an ultrasound transducer, the hypothetical fan would occupy a shape similar to that of an ultrasound slice. Figure 6 A two-dimensional example of an imaginary fan 610 generated based on the catheter 605 is shown. Figure 6As shown, intersecting voxels 630 may correspond to voxels that intersect the imaginary fan 610. As shown, non-intersecting voxels 640 correspond to voxels that do not intersect the imaginary fan 610. Intersecting voxels 630 may be designated as catheter slices and may indicate the catheter position of the catheter.

[0059] The intersection voxels of a designated catheter slice can be determined in any suitable manner, including based on electromagnetic signals between electrodes on the catheter and a localization pad, electromagnetic signals between electrodes on the catheter and body electrodes, etc. Depending on the implementation of this exemplary embodiment, the catheter positions (i.e., catheter slices) can be provided in the same format (e.g., by specifying intersection voxels) as the ultrasound slice positions stored at steps 420 and 440. According to another implementation, the catheter positions can have a different format than the ultrasound slice positions stored at steps 420 and 440, but can be converted so that they can be associated with the format of the ultrasound slice positions stored at steps 420 and 440.

[0060] exist Figure 4 At step 460 of the illustrated process, it may be determined that the first catheter position received at step 450 corresponds to the first ultrasound slice position received at step 410 and stored at step 420. Although, for simplicity, the first catheter position received at step 450 is described as corresponding to the first ultrasound slice position received at step 410, it should be understood that the catheter position may correspond to any one of a plurality of ultrasound slice positions.

[0061] Determining that the catheter slice position received at step 450 corresponds to the first ultrasound slice position may be based on comparing the received catheter slice position (ie, step 450 ) with stored ultrasound slice positions (ie, steps 420 and 440 ).

[0062] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the catheter position may be received and may include a catheter location and a catheter orientation. Based on the catheter location and the catheter orientation, the catheter position may be received and may include a catheter location and a catheter orientation. Figure 6 . Each voxel in the three-dimensional space may initially have a voxel value of 0. The voxel value of each voxel in the three-dimensional space that intersects the imaginary fan may be increased by a value of 1, so that each such intersecting voxel may have a voxel value of 1. Then, the voxels that intersect the first ultrasound slice stored at step 420 may be assigned a voxel value of 1, and the intersecting voxels from the first ultrasound slice stored at step 420 may be superimposed on the imaginary fan, so that any voxel that intersects both the imaginary fan and the first ultrasound slice is increased by another value of 1. Thus, the voxels that intersect both the imaginary fan and the first ultrasound slice may have a first voxel value of 2.

[0063] The same process can be applied to the stored second ultrasound slice at step 440, such that voxels that intersect with the stored second ultrasound slice at step 440 can be assigned a voxel value of 1, and the intersecting voxels obtained from the stored second ultrasound slice at step 440 can be superimposed on the imaginary fan, such that any voxel that intersects both the imaginary fan and the second ultrasound slice is increased by another value of 1. Therefore, the voxels that intersect with both the imaginary fan and the second ultrasound slice can have a second voxel value of 2. This process can be repeated for each stored ultrasound slice. The ultrasound slice that produces the largest number of voxels with a voxel value of 2 can be determined to correspond to the catheter slice orientation. Notably, the ultrasound slice that produces the largest number of voxels with a voxel value of 2 can be the ultrasound slice acquired when the ultrasound transducer is in an orientation that is closest to the catheter in position and orientation. According to Figure 4 As shown in process 400 , the first ultrasound slice may be determined to correspond to the catheter slice orientation based on the first ultrasound slice including the largest number of voxels having a voxel value of 2.

[0064] exist Figure 4 At step 470 of the illustrated process, the first ultrasound slice may be provided for display based on determining that the first ultrasound slice corresponds to the catheter slice orientation.

[0065] It should be understood that although the ultrasound slices and imaginary sectors are disclosed herein as two-dimensional slices and sectors, the ultrasound slices and / or imaginary sectors may be three-dimensional.

[0066] Any of the functions and methods described herein can be implemented in a general-purpose computer, a processor, or a processor core. By way of example, suitable processors include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), and / or a state machine. Such processors can be manufactured by configuring a manufacturing process using the results of a processed hardware description language (HDL) instruction and other intermediate data including a network table (such instructions can be stored on a computer-readable medium). The result of such a process can be a mask work that is subsequently used in a semiconductor manufacturing process to manufacture a processor that implements the features of the present disclosure.

[0067] Any functions and methods described herein may be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware that is incorporated into a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for execution by a general-purpose computer or processor. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), registers, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media (such as internal hard disks and removable disks), magneto-optical media, and optical media (such as CD-ROMs and digital versatile disks (DVDs)).

[0068] It will be appreciated that many variations are possible based on the disclosure herein. Although features and elements have been described above in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements, or in various combinations with or without the other features and elements.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information to a surgeon while a catheter is being inserted into a patient, the method comprising: sending a first electromagnetic signal to the ultrasonic transducer; receiving a first ultrasound slice from the ultrasound transducer during a first time period based on the first electromagnetic signal, the first ultrasound slice corresponding to a first ultrasound position including at least first coordinates of the ultrasound transducer, wherein the first coordinates are first positions about x-, y-, and z-axes relative to a first reference point; sending a second electromagnetic signal to the ultrasonic transducer; receiving a second ultrasound slice from the ultrasound transducer during a second time period based on the second electromagnetic signal, the second ultrasound slice corresponding to a second ultrasound position including at least second coordinates of the ultrasound transducer, wherein the second coordinates are a second position relative to the first reference point about the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis; storing the first ultrasonic slice and the second ultrasonic slice; determining a first catheter position of the catheter at first catheter coordinates at a third time period, wherein the first catheter coordinates are relative to a second reference point and the third time period is subsequent to the first time period and the second time period; selecting the first ultrasound slice or the second ultrasound slice as a selected slice by comparing the first catheter position, the first ultrasound position, and the second ultrasound position, wherein when the comparison indicates that the first catheter position is closer to the first ultrasound position, the first ultrasound slice is selected as the selected slice, and when the comparison indicates that the first catheter position is closer to the second ultrasound position, the second ultrasound slice is selected as the selected slice; determining a real-time position of the catheter relative to the selected slice; as well as The real-time positions of the catheter and the selected slice are displayed to the surgeon as the information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first ultrasound position is one of an ultrasound transducer position or an ultrasound slice position, and the first catheter position includes at least one of a catheter orientation or a catheter slice.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Determining that the first ultrasound position is closer to the first catheter position than the second ultrasound position includes determining that the catheter slice intersects the first ultrasound slice to a greater extent than the catheter slice intersects the second ultrasound slice.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position further includes: determining a first set of voxels that intersect the catheter slice; determining a first number of voxels intersecting the first ultrasound slice from the first group of voxels; determining a second number of voxels from the first set of voxels that intersect the second ultrasound slice; and It is determined that the first number of voxels is greater than the second number of voxels.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first ultrasound position and / or the second ultrasound position comprises at least one of an ultrasound transducer position or an ultrasound transducer orientation.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes moving the catheter from the first catheter position to a second catheter position, wherein the second ultrasound position is closer to the second catheter position than the first ultrasound position; as well as The second ultrasound slice is selected as the selected slice after moving the catheter.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is replacing the stored first ultrasound slice with an updated first ultrasound slice.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The updated first ultrasound slice is received after the first ultrasound slice is received.

9. A system for displaying information to a surgeon while a catheter is being inserted into a patient, the system comprising: An ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer being configured to: receiving a first electromagnetic signal, A first ultrasound slice is acquired during a first time period based on the first electromagnetic signal, the first ultrasound slice corresponding to a first ultrasound position, the first ultrasound position including at least first coordinates of the ultrasound transducer, wherein the first coordinates are first positions relative to a first reference point about an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. receiving a second electromagnetic signal, and acquiring a second ultrasound slice during a second time period based on the second electromagnetic signal, the second ultrasound slice corresponding to a second ultrasound position, the second ultrasound position including at least second coordinates of the ultrasound transducer, wherein the second coordinates are a second position relative to the first reference point about the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis; a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store the first ultrasound slice and the second ultrasound slice; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory and the ultrasound transducer, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to: determining a first catheter position of the catheter at first catheter coordinates at a third time period, wherein the first catheter coordinates are relative to a second reference point and the third time period is subsequent to the first time period and the second time period; selecting the first ultrasound slice or the second ultrasound slice as a selected slice by comparing the first catheter position, the first ultrasound position, and the second ultrasound position, wherein when the comparison indicates that the first catheter position is closer to the first ultrasound position, the first ultrasound slice is selected as the selected slice, and when the comparison indicates that the first catheter position is closer to the second ultrasound position, the second ultrasound slice is selected as the selected slice, determining a real-time position of the catheter relative to the selected slice, and The real-time positions of the catheter and the selected slice are displayed to the surgeon as the information.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that Determining that the first ultrasound position is closer to the first catheter position than the second ultrasound position includes determining that a catheter slice corresponding to the first catheter position intersects the first ultrasound slice more than an intersection of the catheter slice with the second ultrasound slice.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The first ultrasound position includes at least one of an ultrasound transducer position and an ultrasound transducer orientation.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein: A localizer mat is also included, and at least one of the first ultrasound position, the second ultrasound position, and the first catheter position is determined based on the localizer mat.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein: Determining that the first catheter position corresponds to the first ultrasound position includes: determining a first set of voxels that intersect the catheter slice corresponding to the first catheter position; determining a first number of voxels intersecting the first ultrasound slice from the first group of voxels; determining a second number of voxels from the first set of voxels that intersect the second ultrasound slice; and It is determined that the first number of voxels is greater than the second number of voxels.

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