Needle Trajectory Evaluation System Using Volumetric Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Percutaneous needle insertion procedures in medical procedures, such as biopsies and ablations, face challenges in identifying safe and effective insertion trajectories due to the impracticality of analyzing all possible paths and visualizing trajectories outside the image plane, leading to missed anatomically favorable paths.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically evaluates a comprehensive range of needle paths by applying anatomical and physician-based rules to rank trajectories, using volumetric medical image data and a user terminal with a graphic display to identify critical anatomy and provide quantitative cost values for each path, allowing for real-time trajectory planning and guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a physician manually analyzes all possible needle trajectories, then the evaluation comprehensiveness would improve, but the time consumption and complexity would increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical analysis process with an automated computer system that uses algorithms to evaluate trajectories. The system automatically processes volumetric medical images, segments anatomical structures, calculates numerous trajectories, and ranks them based on predefined rules, eliminating the need for manual analysis of all possible paths while reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the patient's anatomy from volumetric medical images and works with this replicated data. By segmenting the volumetric data to identify critical body anatomy and using this segmented model to evaluate trajectories, the system can rapidly assess multiple paths without physically manipulating the actual patient or reviewing every possible trajectory manually.
2Ease of operation
If a physician views only axial slice images, then the image processing simplicity would be maintained, but the ability to visualize trajectories outside the image plane would be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional axial slice images to three-dimensional volumetric data. By segmenting the volumetric medical image data to identify critical body anatomy in 3D space, the system enables visualization and evaluation of trajectories in multiple dimensions, allowing physicians to see paths that extend outside the traditional axial image plane while maintaining ease of operation through automated processing.
3Measurement precision
If the system evaluates a comprehensive range of trajectories, then the accuracy of identifying optimal paths would improve, but the computational complexity would increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the volumetric medical image data to identify critical body anatomy such as organs, vessels, and bones. This segmentation creates discrete, manageable regions that can be systematically evaluated against predefined anatomical rules. By breaking down the complex anatomy into segmented volumes, the system can efficiently evaluate numerous trajectories without overwhelming computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses predefined rules that assign weights to different anatomical structures and trajectory characteristics. By changing parameters such as trajectory angle, path length, and proximity to critical structures, the system automatically ranks trajectories. This parameter-based approach allows comprehensive evaluation of many paths while managing computational complexity through systematic, rule-based processing rather than exhaustive analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for evaluating percutaneous needle pathways provides an automatic segmentation of local tissue structures and performs a weighting to rank a large number of paths to quickly identify clinically favorable choices.