Medical Image Registration Using Rigid Inner Body Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical image registration methods are prone to errors due to skin movement and require invasive or uncomfortable rigid fixation, are difficult to sterilize, expensive, and complicated to handle, especially when relying on external registration devices.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing naturally occurring rigid body structures like bone or cartilage surfaces for registration, eliminating the need for external devices by employing surface scanning technology and tracking systems to accurately determine the spatial position of these structures within medical imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external registration devices are used, then reproducible registration points are achieved, but the devices require invasive fixation, are difficult to sterilize, and are expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patient's own rigid body structures (bone, cartilage) serve as the registration reference, eliminating the need for external devices. The body structures themselves provide the reproducible registration points through their inherent geometric features, making the system self-sufficient and removing the need for separate registration equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The registration function is extracted from external devices and transferred to the patient's body structures. By using the body's own rigid structures as the registration reference, the patent removes the dependency on external registration devices and their associated problems with fixation, sterilization, and cost
2Measurement precision
If external registration devices are used, then registration points are reproducible, but the devices are complicated to handle and require rigid fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The body structures serve their dual function as both the object of imaging and the registration reference, eliminating the need for separate registration devices and their associated complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The registration function is merged with the imaging process by using the same body structures for both purposes. This integration eliminates the need for separate registration devices and simplifies the overall system
3Ease of operation
If body landmarks alone are used for registration, then the method is simple, but errors occur due to skin movement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using soft tissue landmarks throughout the body, the patent selectively uses only the rigid body structures (bone, cartilage) as registration references. This local selection of specific body parts with desirable properties (rigidity) resolves the contradiction by providing both simplicity and accuracy
4Measurement precision
If rigid fixation is applied, then registration accuracy is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates and invasive procedures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The body structures themselves provide the stable reference without requiring external fixation devices, eliminating the need for invasive procedures and patient discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fixing external devices to the body to achieve stability, the patent inverts the approach by using the body's own stable structures as the reference, eliminating the need for fixation altogether
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, easy-to-use, and cost-effective medical image registration, particularly suitable for CT and MR imaging, allowing for automatic patient registration without additional scans and reducing handling complexities.
Implementation Method 1
a surface scanner which comprises a scanner probe which can be positionally located and/or tracked
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical image registration method in which an actual patient's body or portion of a patient's body (22) is positionally registered to a patient image created using a medical body-imaging technique such as MR, CT or x-ray imaging, wherein in a medical navigation system, the actual spatial position of at least a part of the body or body portion (22) is assigned to a respective position in the image of said body or body portion (22), wherein the part of the body or body portion (22) comprises a registration area in the form of the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage. The invention also relates to a medical image registration device which comprises a surface scanner (15) for scanning a registration area comprising the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage.