3D Lung Navigation Pathway Planning with Risk Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic and treatment procedures for lung diseases, particularly lung cancer, face challenges in minimizing trauma to patients due to invasive biopsy methods and the need for precise navigation of tools within the lungs, which is not adequately addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for planning diagnostic and treatment procedures using 3D modeling of lung structures, including bronchial, vascular, and lymphatic networks, to identify optimal access paths for minimally invasive tool navigation, incorporating electromagnetic navigation and percutaneous access, which calculates and displays the risk of injury to guide clinicians in selecting the least invasive paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional biopsy methods are used to confirm lung disease diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but patient trauma increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary 3D reconstruction of lung anatomy and virtual pathway planning before the actual biopsy procedure. This allows the medical team to pre-identify the least invasive access paths to the target lesion, thereby reducing patient trauma while ensuring diagnostic accuracy is maintained through precise navigation to the biopsy site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electromagnetic navigation system as an intermediary between the physician and the target lesion. This system uses 3D reconstructed lung anatomy and calculated risk scores to guide the bronchoscope and biopsy tools along optimized pathways, reducing direct trauma to healthy tissue while maintaining access to the diagnostic target.
2Reliability
If multiple access paths are evaluated to minimize injury risk, then patient safety is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lung anatomy into distinct 3D structures (bronchial tree, vascular network, lesion location) and evaluates multiple access paths by calculating risk scores for each segment. This segmentation allows the system to manage computational complexity by breaking down the overall pathway analysis into manageable components while comprehensively assessing patient safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by calculating quantitative risk scores for each access path based on multiple factors (distance to lesion, proximity to vessels, bronchial geometry). By transforming qualitative safety assessments into quantifiable parameters, the system can efficiently compare multiple paths and select the safest route without overwhelming computational burden.
3Manufacturing precision
If 3D modeling and risk calculation are performed for pathway planning, then navigation precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a 3D reconstructed copy of the patient's lung anatomy from CT imaging data. This virtual model allows for precise pathway planning and risk assessment without requiring complex physical navigation aids during the procedure. The digital copy enables accurate visualization and measurement while keeping the actual medical equipment relatively simple.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for planning a procedure for treatment of lung tissue. An exemplary method includes generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the luminal network, displaying the 3D model of the luminal network, selecting a target location in the tissue adjacent to the luminal network as displayed on the 3D model, identifying a point in the luminal network which is proximate to or at the target location, determining an access path between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network, calculating a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network, based on the determined access path, and displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model.