Vertebral Feature Identification Using 3D Spinal Model Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In minimally invasive spinal interventions, identifying the correct vertebral level is challenging due to the limited field of view of intra-operative fluoroscopy and the difficulty in assessing 3D differences from 2D projections, leading to potential misidentification of vertebral levels.
Innovation Solution
A device and method for 3D characteristic vertebral feature identification using processed 3D volume information from multiple image acquisitions, generating 3D spinal model data, selecting vertebra information, computing 3D vertebral shape differences, and outputting characteristic features to facilitate automatic determination of patient-specific vertebral levels and optimal viewing angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If intra-operative fluoroscopy is used for imaging during spinal intervention, then the imaging modality is simple and widely available, but the field of view is limited and only a few spinal vertebrae can be displayed simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D fluoroscopy projections to 3D volumetric data representation. By reconstructing the spinal column in three dimensions from multiple fluoroscopy images, the system provides comprehensive visualization of the entire spinal column, overcoming the limited field of view constraint while maintaining the simplicity of fluoroscopy-based imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary 3D reconstruction of the spinal column from fluoroscopy images before the intervention proceeds. This pre-established 3D model allows identification of vertebral levels and characteristic features, enabling accurate localization without requiring wide simultaneous visualization during the procedure.
2Productivity
If 2D fluoroscopy projections are used for vertebral identification, then the imaging process is simple and fast, but it is difficult to assess 3D differences and identify correct vertebral levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances 2D fluoroscopy by reconstructing 3D volumetric data that preserves the speed of fluoroscopy imaging while adding depth information. The 3D representation allows accurate assessment of vertebral shape differences and precise identification of vertebral levels, eliminating the ambiguity inherent in 2D projections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the dimensional parameter of the imaging data from 2D to 3D, transforming the representation while maintaining the temporal efficiency of fluoroscopy. This parameter change enables precise measurement of vertebral characteristics and accurate level identification without sacrificing imaging speed.
3Loss of information
If the entire spinal column is displayed to facilitate vertebral identification, then complete visualization is achieved, but the field of view requirement becomes unfeasible with standard fluoroscopy equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent solves the field of view limitation by rendering the entire spinal column in 3D space rather than requiring simultaneous 2D visualization. The volumetric representation compresses the spatial information, allowing the complete spinal column to be represented within the limited fluoroscopy field of view while maintaining full vertebral visibility through multi-planar and volume rendering capabilities.
4Measurement precision
If 3D volumetric data is reconstructed from multiple fluoroscopy images to improve vertebral identification, then vertebral level determination accuracy is improved, but the processing complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex task of 3D reconstruction into discrete processing steps: image acquisition from multiple angles, individual image processing and registration, volumetric data generation, and characteristic feature extraction. This segmentation of the processing pipeline manages computational complexity while achieving accurate 3D reconstruction for precise vertebral identification.
Data Source
AI summary
Minimally-invasive spinal inventions are often performed using fluoroscopic imaging methods, which can give a real-time impression of the location of a surgical instrument, at the expense of a small field of view. When operating on a spinal column, a small field of view can be a problem, because a medical professional is left with no reference vertebra in the fluoroscopy image, from which to identify a vertebra, which is the subject of the intervention. Identifying contiguous vertebrae is difficult because such contiguous vertebrae are similar in shape. However, characteristic features, which differentiate one vertebra from other vertebra, and which are visible in the fluoroscopic view, may be used to provide a reference.