3D Volume Reconstruction from Standard Fluoroscopy Using Radio-Opaque Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current navigation systems for surgical procedures, particularly in treating organs like the liver, brain, heart, and lungs, face challenges in accurately guiding medical devices to soft-tissue targets due to the limitations of standard fluoroscopic imaging, which struggles to visualize small soft-tissue objects and requires expensive CT or Cone-beam CT scans, leading to costly and radiation-intensive procedures.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that constructs three-dimensional volumetric data from standard fluoroscopic images, filtering out obscuring dense tissue objects and projecting them back into two dimensions, allowing for real-time navigation and treatment confirmation using a fast iterative algorithm, and optionally registering with CT data for enhanced accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard fluoroscopic imaging is used for navigation, then cost is reduced and device availability is improved, but measurement precision of soft-tissue objects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces radio-opaque markers as intermediary objects that are placed near or on the soft-tissue target. These markers are highly visible in fluoroscopic images, serving as reference points that mediate between the limited capability of standard fluoroscopy and the need for precise localization of soft-tissue targets. The markers act as a bridge, allowing indirect measurement and navigation to the soft-tissue target through their clearly visible positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a three-dimensional volumetric representation (copy) of the patient anatomy and navigation path based on fluoroscopic images and marker positions. This virtual 3D model serves as a copy that can be manipulated and measured more precisely than the actual physical target, allowing for accurate navigation planning and execution while using only standard fluoroscopic imaging.
2Measurement precision
If CT or Cone-beam CT scans are used for three dimensional volume reconstruction, then measurement precision and soft-tissue visualization are improved, but cost increases and radiation exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing complete CT or Cone-beam CT scans that provide full three-dimensional volumetric data, the patent uses partial action by acquiring only a limited set of fluoroscopic images at specific angles and positions. This partial imaging approach, combined with 3D reconstruction algorithms and marker-based referencing, provides sufficient navigation precision without the excessive radiation exposure and cost of comprehensive CT scanning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, high-radiation CT imaging with inexpensive, low-radiation fluoroscopic imaging augmented by simple radio-opaque markers. The markers are temporary, disposable objects that provide the necessary reference information for a single navigation procedure, eliminating the need for expensive imaging equipment and reducing radiation exposure while maintaining adequate measurement precision.
3Ease of operation
If standard fluoroscopic images are used for navigation, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the ability to visualize and navigate to soft-tissue targets deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Radio-opaque markers serve as intermediary reference objects that are easily detectable in standard fluoroscopic images. These markers simplify the detection and measurement process by providing clearly visible, high-contrast reference points that can be easily identified and tracked, overcoming the difficulty of directly visualizing soft-tissue targets with standard fluoroscopy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of detectability by introducing markers with high radio-opacity that contrast sharply with soft tissues in fluoroscopic images. This parameter change makes the reference points easily detectable and measurable, transforming the difficult task of detecting soft-tissue targets into a simple task of tracking marker positions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate navigation and treatment confirmation of medical devices relative to soft-tissue targets within the patient without the need for expensive CT or Cone-beam CT systems, reducing costs and radiation exposure while improving navigation precision.
Implementation Method 1
acquire a fluoroscopic video of a target area about a plurality of angles relative to the target area
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for constructing fluoroscopic-based three dimensional volumetric data from two dimensional fluoroscopic images including a computing device configured to facilitate navigation of a medical device to a target area within a patient and a fluoroscopic imaging device configured to acquire a fluoroscopic video of the target area about a plurality of angles relative to the target area. The computing device is configured to determine a pose of the fluoroscopic imaging device for each frame of the fluoroscopic video and to construct fluoroscopic-based three dimensional volumetric data of the target area in which soft tissue objects are visible using a fast iterative three dimensional construction algorithm.