Radiopaque Tagged Probe for Fluoroscope Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mid-procedure registration of the fluoroscope coordinate frame with the position-tracking system in medical procedures is challenging due to the need for quick and accurate alignment without delaying the procedure, especially when body parts move relative to the medical instrument.
Innovation Solution
A medical procedure system that includes radiopaque markers and position-tracking transducers, allowing for the computation of the medical instrument's position and orientation, and enabling user-alignment of graphical representations with fluoroscopic images to register the fluoroscope coordinate frame with the position-tracking system, using coils and radiopaque markers to provide accurate real-time positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mid-procedure registration is performed to align fluoroscope coordinate frame with position-tracking system, then navigation accuracy is improved, but procedure time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-attaching radiopaque markers to the medical instrument shaft before the procedure. These markers are already in position and can be immediately detected by the fluoroscope during registration, eliminating the need for time-consuming marker placement or complex alignment procedures during the procedure. The coordinate frame transformation matrices can be pre-calculated based on the known geometric relationship between the markers and the instrument tip.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses radiopaque markers as intermediaries between the medical instrument and the fluoroscope/position-tracking system. These markers serve as detectable reference points that bridge the two coordinate systems, enabling accurate registration without requiring direct complex interactions between the instrument and imaging systems. The markers are visible in fluoroscopic images and their positions can be tracked to establish the coordinate transformation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple radiopaque markers are attached to the medical instrument shaft, then registration accuracy is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the reference system into multiple discrete radiopaque markers distributed along the instrument shaft. Each marker serves as an independent reference point, and collectively they define the instrument's coordinate frame more accurately than a single marker could. The markers can be attached at specific intervals or locations to optimize the geometric configuration for registration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses radiopaque markers that appear as distinct high-contrast features in fluoroscopic images, effectively using visual contrast (analogous to color changes) to enable easy detection and tracking. The radiopaque material appears bright/white against the darker background of soft tissues in X-ray images, making the markers easily distinguishable and their positions easily determinable for accurate registration.
3Measurement precision
If real-time position tracking is implemented during the procedure, then navigation precision is improved, but system complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a system where the same radiopaque markers serve multiple functions: they are visible in fluoroscopic images for imaging guidance, detectable by the position-tracking system for navigation, and can be used for both initial registration and continuous tracking throughout the procedure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high navigation precision.
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 quick and accurate registration of the fluoroscope coordinate frame with the position-tracking system, allowing for precise display of the medical instrument's position relative to real-time fluoroscopic images, thereby facilitating accurate navigation during medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a fluoroscope configured to capture fluoroscopic images of an interior of the body part and the at least one radiopaque marker of the medical instrument over time
Data Source
AI summary
A medical procedure system, including a medical instrument to be inserted into a body part, and including position-tracking transducers to provide position signals, a distal end, and at least one radiopaque marker, a position tracking sub-system to compute a position including at least one location and orientation of the distal end in a position-tracking sub-system coordinate frame responsively to the position signals, a fluoroscope to capture fluoroscopic images of an interior of the body part and the radiopaque marker(s), and a registration sub-system to render, to a display, the captured fluoroscopic images including at least one marker-image of the radiopaque marker(s), and at least one graphical representation indicative of the computed position of the distal end, receive user-alignment input aligning the graphical representation(s) with the marker-image(s), and register the position-tracking sub-system coordinate frame with a coordinate frame of the fluoroscope responsively to the received user-alignment input.