Clipping-Plane Ablation Planning for Oblique Needle Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ablation technologies face challenges in achieving precise and reproducible placement of ablation needles, especially for intermediate and large tumors, due to the difficulty in controlling asymmetric ablation volumes and oblique insertion angles without visual feedback, which can lead to incomplete tumor destruction and risk of damaging surrounding organs.
Innovation Solution
A 3D image planning and guiding method using multi-planar reformatting (MPR) and graphics-oriented constructive approaches to visualize and plan ablation volumes within a patient's body, allowing for precise location and orientation of ablation needles, including oblique angles, by acquiring 3D image data sets and introducing 3D model data of ablation volumes into the imaging system, and using a stencil buffer for visualization and guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If multiple ablation needles are used to treat intermediate and large tumors, then the ablation volume coverage is improved, but the precision and reproducibility of needle placement deteriorates due to difficulty in controlling asymmetric ablation volumes and oblique insertion angles without visual feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time visual feedback by displaying the planned ablation volume and multiple imaging planes (axial, coronal, sagittal) during needle insertion. This allows the operator to see the asymmetric ablation volume boundaries and adjust needle placement and orientation accordingly, ensuring precise coverage of the tumor while avoiding surrounding organs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from 2D imaging to 3D visualization by introducing multi-planar reformatting (MPR) that displays axial, coronal, and sagittal views simultaneously. This dimensional enhancement allows operators to precisely control oblique insertion angles and visualize the asymmetric ablation volume in three dimensions, improving both coverage and placement precision.
2Volume of moving object
If ablation needles are inserted at oblique angles to achieve better tumor coverage, then the ablation volume distribution is improved, but the control and visualization of needle orientation becomes more difficult without specialized imaging tools
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces multi-planar reformatting (MPR) that generates three orthogonal imaging planes (axial, coronal, sagittal) from 3D image data. This allows operators to visualize and control oblique needle orientations by viewing the needle position and ablation volume boundaries from multiple angular perspectives, making oblique insertion as controllable as perpendicular insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows pre-planning of the ablation volume and needle trajectory before actual insertion. Operators can define the desired ablation volume boundaries and visualize the planned needle path and orientation in advance using the MPR display, enabling precise oblique angle control during the actual procedure.
3Manufacturing precision
If real-time visualization of asymmetric ablation volumes is implemented, then the precision of tumor destruction is improved, but the complexity of the imaging and processing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the complex 3D ablation volume visualization into three separate orthogonal planes (axial, coronal, sagittal). Each plane displays simplified 2D cross-sections of the asymmetric ablation volume, making the information more manageable and easier to interpret while maintaining complete spatial information for precise tumor destruction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system performs multiple functions using a unified approach: it acquires 3D image data, generates MPR views in three orthogonal planes, displays the asymmetric ablation volume boundaries, and guides needle insertion all through a single integrated system. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Ablation treatment planning comprises: acquiring a three-dimensional (3D) image data set of a region of interest; introducing 3D model data of an ablation volume into the 3D image data set; and drawing, as a 2D image, what remains of a cross sectional multiplanar reformatting (MPR) slice of the region of interest and the ablation volume within an MPR plane by virtue of using the MPR plane as a clipping plane. The introduction is doable by tagging image pixels using a stencil buffer and possibly by culling specific inside areas and/or outside areas of the ablation volume. An ablation volume, for, e.g., receiving a cryoablation needle to eliminate tumor tissue and having any arbitrary shape, may be visualized within a 3D image space by drawing 2D images in any desired MPR plane such that also oblique orientations of the ablation volume can be represented. Subsequently, an ablation needle may be guided to a location and in an orientation as previously planned.