3D Anatomy Trajectory Planning Using the User's Visual Axis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for planning medical trajectories in minimally invasive procedures require significant spatial understanding from medical personnel, making them complex and difficult to use.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that determines a virtual medical trajectory using a three-dimensional virtual representation of a patient's anatomy, where the trajectory is defined by a user's visual axis, allowing for intuitive planning through head or eye movements, and transforms this virtual trajectory into real-world coordinates for instrument placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If 2D- or 3D-images are displayed and medical personnel manually define trajectories using a computer mouse, then trajectory planning can be performed, but the procedure demands profound spatial sense and becomes complex and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mouse-based trajectory definition with an optical system that automatically determines trajectories based on the user's visual axis. The computer captures images and calculates trajectory data from eye/head position and gaze direction, substituting mechanical interaction with optical sensing and automated computational geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service trajectory planning where the user's natural visual inspection of the 3D anatomical representation automatically generates the trajectory definition. The computer processes the visual information and computes the trajectory without requiring additional manual input or complex spatial manipulation by the user.
2Productivity
If manual trajectory definition on 2D/3D images is used, then trajectory planning is possible, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces time-consuming manual mouse operations with automated optical sensing and computational geometry. The computer automatically captures images, determines eye/head position, calculates the visual axis, and generates trajectory data instantaneously, eliminating the time required for manual trajectory drawing.
Solution Approach 2:
The trajectory planning becomes a self-service process where the system automatically generates trajectories from the user's visual inspection. The computer performs all computational steps including image capture, coordinate system transformation, visual axis calculation, and trajectory determination without requiring manual intervention, significantly reducing planning time.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method that encompasses the determination of a virtual trajectory within a virtual representation of a patient's anatomy, wherein the trajectory is defined by a user's visual axis relative to the three-dimensional virtual representation of the patient's anatomy. The method includes acquiring image data which describes the three-dimensional virtual representation of the patient's body part, acquiring position data which describes a spatial position of a user's visual axis within a virtual-world co-ordinate system, determining visualization data based on the image data and the position data, and determining virtual-world trajectory data based on the position data.