Method and apparatus for virtual endoscopy

Abstract

A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electromagnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

1 . A navigation system to track a surgical instrument relative to a patient, comprising: 
 a tracking subsystem operable to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument;    a data processor adapted to receive scan data representative of a region of interest of a given patient and the position data from the tracking subsystem, the data processor being operable to render an image of the region of interest from a point of view which relates to position of the surgical instrument, the image being derived from the scan data; and    a display in data communication with the data processor, the display being operable to display the image of the patient.    
   
   
       2 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a timing signal generator operable to generate and transmit a timing signal that correlates to at least one anatomical function of the patient;    wherein the tracking subsystem is operable to receive the timing signal from the timing signal generator, the tracking subsystem operable to capture position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument and to report the position data in response to the timing signal received from the timing signal generator;    wherein the data processor is adapted to receive scan image data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient and the position data from the tracking subsystem, the data processor being operable to render a volumetric perspective image of the internal region of interest from the scan image data and to superimpose an indicia of the surgical instrument onto the volumetric perspective image based on the position data received from the tracking subsystem.    
   
   
       3 . The navigation system of  claim 2  wherein the timing signal is generated at a repetitive point within each cycle of either a cardiac cycle or a respiratory cycle of the patient, thereby minimizing any jitter of the surgical instrument in the volumetric perspective image which may be caused by the cardiac cycle or the respiratory cycle of the patient.  
   
   
       4 . The navigation system of  claim 2  wherein the data processor is further operable to the track position of the surgical instrument as it is moved within the region of interest and to update the corresponding position of the indicia of the surgical instrument in the volumetric perspective image of the patient.  
   
   
       5 . The navigation system of  claim 1  wherein the data processor is further operable to track in real-time the location and orientation of the surgical instrument as it is moved within the region of interest and the display is further operable to display the location and orientation of the surgical instrument.  
   
   
       6 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the scan data includes two dimensional scan data, three dimensional scan data, four dimensional scan data, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the scan data can be obtained preoperatively, intra-operatively, from an atlas map, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking subsystem is operable to capture real time position data indicative of a position of the surgical instrument in the patient, an orientation of the surgical instrument in the patient, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking subsystem is an electromagnetic tracking subsystem including a tracking sensor interconnected with the surgical instrument to assist in determining a position and orientation of the surgical instrument relative to the patient.  
   
   
       10 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the rendered image displayed on the display is operable to be from the point of view of the surgical instrument, a point of view at a angle relative to the surgical instrument, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The navigation system of  claim 5 , wherein the data processor is operable to create a map of the area through which the surgical instrument is moved by tracking the real time location and orientation of the surgical instrument over time.  
   
   
       12 . The navigation system of  claim 11 , wherein the map is displayed on the display.  
   
   
       13 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein the data processor is operable to compensate for error in the tracking subsystem and/or inaccuracies caused by anatomical shift caused during acquisition of the scanned data.  
   
   
       14 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an imaging device operable to create the scanned data representative of a region of interest of a given patient.    
   
   
       15 . The navigation system of  claim 14 , wherein said imaging device includes a magnetic resonance imaging scanner, a computed tomography scanner, an ultrasound system, a positron emission tomography, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a disposable surgical instrument.    
   
   
       17 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a surgical instrument selected from a group consisting of a guide wire, a pointer probe, a stent, a seed, an implant, an endoscope, a catheter, or combinations thereof.    
   
   
       18 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein said tracking subsystem includes wireless communication with the surgical instrument.  
   
   
       19 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , wherein said tracking subsystem is an electromagnetic tracking subsystem, an optical tracking subsystem, a sonic tracking subsystem, an infrared tracking subsystem, a radiation tracking subsystem, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The navigation system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an accuracy enhancing subsystem operable to enhance visualization and/or refined accuracy of the displayed image data;    wherein the enhanced accuracy subsystem is operable to compensate for an error in the tracking subsystem when tracking the surgical instrument through a selected vessel.    
   
   
       21 . A surgical instrument navigation system to display a virtual image from the point of view of a surgical instrument within a patient, comprising: 
 a tracking subsystem operable to capture position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument;    a data processor adapted to receive scan image data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient and the position data from the tracking subsystem, the data processor being operable to render an image of the internal region of interest from the scan image data and to superimpose an indicia of the surgical instrument onto the rendered image based on the position data received from the tracking subsystem; and    a display in data communication with the data processor, the display being operable to display the rendered image of the patient.    
   
   
       22 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein the rendered volumetric perspective image of the internal region of interest of the patient is from a point of view of the surgical instrument and is displayed on the display.  
   
   
       23 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 22 , wherein the tracking subsystem is operable to track both a position and an orientation of the surgical instrument to allow said data processor to render a volumetric prospective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument.  
   
   
       24 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein the scan image data is at least one of two dimensional, three dimensional, four dimensional, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       25 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 24 , wherein the data processor is operable to render a volumetric perspective image of the internal region of interest based upon at least one scanned image data set of the patient.  
   
   
       26 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein tracking the subsystem includes a tracking sensor interconnected with the surgical instrument and a localizing device operable to determine a position of the tracking sensor; 
 wherein said tracking subsystem is operable to determine at least a position, an orientation, or combinations thereof of the tracking sensor.    
   
   
       27 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein the data processor is operable to render at least one of a volumetric perspective image, a surface rendered image, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       28 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein the rendered image includes an image from a point of view other than a point of view of the surgical instrument.  
   
   
       29 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 a secondary image;    wherein the data processor is operable to render a secondary image of the area of interest; and    wherein the display is operable to display the rendered secondary image.    
   
   
       30 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein the data processor is operable to render a four dimensional image of the patient; 
 wherein a change of the patient over time is illustrated on the rendered image.    
   
   
       31 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 a disposable surgical instrument.    
   
   
       32 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , wherein said tracking subsystem is an electromagnetic tracking subsystem, an optical tracking subsystem, an infrared tracking subsystem, a sonic tracking subsystem, a radiation tracking subsystem, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       33 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 at least one surgical instrument selected from a group consisting of a guide wire, a pointer probe, a stent, a seed, an implant, an endoscope, a catheter, or combinations thereof.    
   
   
       34 . The surgical instrument navigation system of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 an imaging device operable to create the scan image data.    
   
   
       35 . A method of creating image data representative of a point of view of a surgical instrument relative to a patient for display on a display, comprising: 
 obtaining image data of a patient;    tracking the surgical instrument;    determining a position of the surgical instrument;    determining an orientation of the surgical instrument;    creating image data relating to a point of view of the surgical instrument within the patient; and    displaying the created image data illustrating the point of view of the surgical instrument within the patient.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein obtaining image data of the patient includes obtaining two dimensional image data, three dimensional image data, four dimensional data, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein displaying the created image data includes displaying a changeover time of the image data from the four dimensional image data.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein tracking a surgical instrument, includes determining a position of a tracking sensor interconnected with the surgical instrument with a localizing device.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 creating secondary image data relating to a point of view external to an area of interest of the patient and a surgical instrument.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein creating an image data relating to a point of view of the surgical instrument within the patient includes correcting for errors in at least one of determining the position of the surgical instrument, determining an orientation of the surgical instrument, a change in the position of the patient from a present time to the time of obtaining the image data of a patient, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein correcting for errors includes: 
 using statistical methods to determine if a surgical instrument has potentially punctured a vessel.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 transmitting the indication error to a user.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein correcting for errors includes determining a likely position of the surgical instrument within a vessel based upon image data of the patient and a probable location of the surgical instrument.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein obtaining image data of a patient includes obtaining an atlas map image data.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 displaying an indicia of the position of a portion of the surgical instrument relative to the obtained image data of the patient.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 rendering a volumetric prospective image, rendering a surface rendered image of the region of interest, or combinations thereof.    
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 displaying a secondary view relative to the displayed created image data illustrated in the point of the view of the surgical instrument within the patient.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 interconnecting a timing signal generator with the patient to track a change in the patient over time;    wherein determining a position of the surgical instrument and determining orientation of the surgical instrument includes accounting for the change in the patient determined by the timing signal generator.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the timing device measures a respirator cycle, a cardiac cycle, or combinations thereof to allow for a reduction of jitter and/or flutter in displaying the created image data.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising: 
 obtaining the image data using at least one of a magnetic resonance imaging system, a computed tomography imaging system, a positron emission tomography imaging system, an ultrasound imaging system, or combinations thereof.    
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 selecting a disposable surgical instrument.