Pelvic Registration Artifact Elimination via Support Device Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient positioners used in pelvic surgeries create artifacts in fluoroscopic images due to their support devices being in the beam path, leading to misinterpretation and incorrect registration of anatomical structures.
Innovation Solution
An artifact elimination method and system that stores geometric data of the support device and its positional assignment with a navigation reference device, allowing the navigation system to identify and exclude the support device's image from registration, using known dimensions and position data to disregard pillar images during image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If support devices are used to fix the patient's pelvis during surgery, then patient positioning stability is improved, but artifacts appear in fluoroscopic images causing misinterpretation of anatomical structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the support device images from the fluoroscopic images through image processing. The navigation system identifies support device components based on their known geometric data and positional relationships, then removes these identified elements from the image to eliminate artifacts while preserving anatomical structures for accurate registration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces navigation reference devices as intermediaries that are attached to the support device. These reference devices have known geometric relationships with the support structure, allowing the navigation system to identify and distinguish support device images from anatomical structures through spatial reasoning and geometric validation.
2Ease of operation
If support devices are positioned in the beam path for patient fixation, then patient support function is improved, but contour selection accuracy deteriorates due to overlapping artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback from the known geometric data and positional assignments of support devices to guide the image processing. The navigation system continuously references the stored geometric models and detected positions to accurately identify support device contours, providing feedback that enables precise differentiation between support artifacts and anatomical contours for accurate selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-storing the geometric data and positional assignments of support devices in the navigation system before image acquisition. This preliminary preparation enables the system to quickly and accurately identify support device images during real-time fluoroscopy, allowing for immediate artifact removal without compromising contour selection accuracy.
3Device complexity
If conventional image processing is used for pelvic registration, then registration process is simple, but error registrations occur due to artifact interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual artifact identification and removal processes with an automated computer-based system. The navigation system automatically detects support device positions, identifies their images using stored geometric data, and removes artifacts through computational image processing, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring consistent and accurate results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copies of the support device's geometric data and positional information to create virtual models of the support device images. By comparing these virtual models with the actual fluoroscopic images, the system can accurately identify and remove support device artifacts while preserving anatomical structures, ensuring reliable registration without increasing operational complexity.
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 registration of anatomical pelvic landmarks by eliminating support device artifacts from images, ensuring correct contour selection and avoiding error registrations during pelvic surgeries.
Implementation Method 1
the position of the support and the X-ray or fluoroscopy device during the recording are determined by the navigation system based on the detection of the support positionally assigned navigation reference device
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an artifact elimination method for a medical-technical pelvic registration method for the positional registration of a patient pelvis (14) supported by at least one support (1), comprising the following steps: - the geometric data of the support (1) are stored in the data memory of a medical-technical navigation system (20) used for the registration, - at least one X-ray or fluoroscopy image of the patient pelvis (14) is created, wherein the support (1) is located in the beam path of the image, - the position of the support (1) and the X-ray or fluoroscopy device (30) during the image acquisition are determined by the navigation system (20), - using the determined position data for the support and the X-ray or fluoroscopy device (30), the navigation system (20) determines the position of the support (1) and the X-ray or fluoroscopy device (30).The fluoroscopy device identifies the image of the support (1) in the image, and the image is used for registration, whereby the image elements of the identified image of the support (1) are defined as parts of the image not to be used during registration. It further relates to an artifact elimination system for eliminating artifacts in X-ray or fluoroscopy images, comprising a data storage unit in the navigation system (20) in which the geometric data of the support (1) are stored, and logic in the navigation system (20) which, based on the information about the geometric data of the support (1), disregards the image of the support (1) in an X-ray or fluoroscopy image during registration.