Anatomical Cavity Visualization with Tool Distance Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interventional radiologists face challenges in navigating anatomical cavities using traditional two-dimensional (2D) images, as they lack depth information, making it difficult to determine the distance between tools and cavity walls.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enhance 2D images by providing a three-dimensional (3D) representation of anatomical cavities, overlaying icons and markers to indicate tool position and distance from the cavity wall, using a processor to project virtual rays and render cavity walls in color, facilitating better navigation during medical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional two-dimensional (2D) images are used for navigation, then the imaging system remains simple and easy to operate, but depth information is lost making it difficult to determine distance between tools and cavity walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overlays a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the cavity wall onto the 2D medical image. This 3D model is generated from the same imaging data but rendered to show depth and spatial relationships. The 3D wall representation includes visual cues such as shading, contour lines, and distance markers that convey depth information not visible in the standard 2D image, thereby recovering lost depth information without requiring a completely new imaging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the cavity wall as a 3D model that can be overlaid on the 2D image. This digital twin or virtual representation is generated by processing the imaging data to reconstruct the wall geometry. The copied 3D structure serves as an informational layer that adds depth perception to the flat 2D image, allowing clinicians to visualize spatial relationships without changing the original imaging modality.
2Measurement precision
If three-dimensional (3D) representation with overlay icons and markers is implemented, then depth information and navigation accuracy improve, but the system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual intermediaries in the form of overlay icons, markers, and distance indicators that bridge the gap between the 2D image and the 3D spatial reality. These graphical elements serve as mediators that translate complex 3D geometric information into intuitive visual cues. The overlay system includes icons representing anatomical landmarks, distance markers showing tool-to-wall measurements, and contour lines indicating wall orientation, making precise measurements accessible without complex processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies enhanced 3D visualization and overlay elements selectively at critical locations within the cavity rather than uniformly throughout the entire image. Distance markers and detailed wall representations are concentrated near the tool tip and at anatomically significant sites, while less critical areas maintain simpler visualization. This localized enhancement provides measurement precision where needed while minimizing overall system complexity and processing requirements.
3Ease of operation
If virtual rays are projected to determine wall intersection points, then navigation accuracy improves, but computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of the imaging data to pre-establish the 3D wall model and identify key anatomical landmarks before the navigation procedure begins. Virtual rays are pre-computed from anticipated tool entry points and trajectories based on the pre-built 3D cavity model. This preliminary action allows the system to have intersection points and distance measurements ready in advance, reducing real-time computational requirements during actual navigation and improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image that includes a representation of a wall of an anatomical cavity, by overlaying an icon that represents an intrabody tool on a portion of the image that corresponds to a location of the intrabody tool within the anatomical cavity, and overlaying a marker on a portion of the representation of the wall that corresponds to a location at which the intrabody tool would meet the wall, were the intrabody tool to continue moving toward the wall in a direction in which the intrabody tool is pointing. The processor is further configured to display the modified image on the display. Other embodiments are also described.