Methods, systems, and computer readable media for image guided ablation

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for image guided ablation. One system for image guided ablation includes an ultrasound transducer for producing a real-time ultrasound image of a target volume and of surrounding tissue. The system further includes an ablation probe for ablating the target volume. The system further includes a display for displaying an image to guide positioning of the ablation probe during ablation of the target volume. The system further includes at least one tracker for tracking position and orientation of the ablation probe during the ablation of the target volume. The system further includes a rendering and display module for receiving a pre-ablation image of the target volume and for displaying a combined image on the display, where the combined image includes a motion tracked, rendered image of the ablation probe and an equally motion tracked real-time ultrasound image registered with the pre-ablation image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for image guided ablation, the system comprising:
 an ultrasound transducer configured to produce a real-time 2D ultrasound image slice of a target volume and surrounding tissue;   an ablation probe configured to ablate the target volume;   a display configured to display an image to guide positioning of the ablation probe; and   at least one tracker configured to track orientations of the ablation probe, the ultrasound transducer, and a user's head; and   
       a rendering and display module configured to:
 receive the real-time 2D ultrasound image slice from the ultrasound transducer; 
 receive data regarding the tracked orientation of the ablation probe, the ultrasound transducer, and the user's head produced by the at least one tracker; 
 determine a perspective view of the real-time 2D ultrasound image slice in a virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientations of the ultrasound transducer and the user's head; 
 determine a perspective view of a virtual 3D ultrasound transducer in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientations of the ultrasound transducer and the user's head, wherein the virtual 3D ultrasound transducer corresponds to the ultrasound transducer; 
 determine a perspective view of a virtual 3D ablation probe in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientations of the ablation probe and the user's head, wherein the virtual 3D ablation probe corresponds to the ablation probe; and 
 cause the display to concurrently display the perspective view of the real-time 2D ultrasound image slice, the perspective view of the virtual 3D ablation probe, and the perspective view of the virtual 3D ultrasound transducer in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on a location of the ultrasound transducer and the ablation probe. 
 
     
     
         2 . A system for image guided medical care, the system comprising:
 a rendering and display module executing on one or more computer processors and configured to:   receive a real-time 2D ultrasound image from an ultrasound transducer;   receive data regarding a tracked orientation of a medical instrument, a tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer, and a tracked orientation of a user's head;   calculate an orientation of a virtual medical instrument based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the medical instrument, wherein the virtual medical instrument corresponds to the medical instrument;   determine a perspective view of the real-time 2D ultrasound image in a virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer and the tracked orientation of the user's head;   determine a perspective view of the virtual medical instrument in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the calculated orientation of the virtual medical instrument and the tracked orientation of the user's head; and   cause a display to concurrently display the perspective view of the real-time 2D ultrasound image and the perspective view of the virtual medical instrument based at least in part on a relative location of the ultrasound transducer and the medical instrument.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the medical instrument is an ablation probe and the virtual medical instrument is a virtual ablation probe. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the ablation probe comprises at least one of: a radio frequency ablation (RFA) probe, a microwave ablation probe, or a cryo-ablation probe. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the rendering and display module is further configured to:
 determine a perspective view of a virtual ultrasound transducer in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer and the tracked orientation of the user's head; and   cause the display to further display the perspective view of the virtual ultrasound transducer concurrently with the display of the perspective view of the real-time 2D ultrasound image and the perspective view of the virtual medical instrument.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual medical instrument is displayed to maintain a parallel orientation with respect to the medical instrument. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the rendering and display module is further configured to determine a trajectory of the medical instrument and cause the display to display a trajectory cue indicating the trajectory of the medical instrument. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the rendering and display module is further configured to cause the display to display a volume that will be affected by an ablation pass for a current position and orientation of the medical instrument and for its operational specifications. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the rendering and display module is further configured to render guidance graphics including:
 schematic 3D structures to emphasize a spatial relationship of the real-time 2D ultrasound image and the medical instrument; and   guidance cues between the virtual medical instrument and a plane defined at least in part by the orientation of the real-time 2D ultrasound image.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the guidance cues comprise projection lines connecting the virtual medical instrument to the plane defined at least in part by the orientation of the real-time 2D ultrasound image. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a tine deployment tracker configured to track deployment of tines of the medical instrument and to provide tine deployment tracking data to the rendering and display module, wherein the rendering and display module is further configured to cause the display to display medical instrument tine deployment. 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing an image suitable for image guided ablation, the method comprising:
 receiving an ultrasound image from an ultrasound transducer;   receiving data regarding a tracked orientation of an medical instrument, a tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer, and a tracked orientation of a user's head;   calculating an orientation of a virtual medical instrument based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the medical instrument;   determining a perspective view of the ultrasound image in a virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer and the tracked orientation of the user's head;   determining a perspective view of the virtual medical instrument in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the medical instrument and the tracked orientation of the user's head, wherein the virtual medical instrument corresponds to the medical instrument; and   causing a display to concurrently display the perspective view of the ultrasound image and the perspective view of the virtual medical instrument based at least in part on a relative location of the ultrasound transducer and the medical instrument.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the medical instrument comprises one of: a radio frequency ablation (RFA) probe, a microwave ablation probe, and a cryo-ablation probe. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining a perspective view of a virtual ultrasound transducer in the virtual 3D space based at least in part on the tracked orientation of the ultrasound transducer and the tracked orientation of the user's head; and   causing the display to concurrently display the perspective view of the ultrasound image, the perspective view of the virtual medical instrument, and the perspective view of the virtual ultrasound transducer based at least in part on a relative location of the ultrasound transducer and the medical instrument.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual medical instrument is displayed to maintain a parallel orientation with respect to the medical instrument. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining a trajectory of the medical instrument and causing the display to display a trajectory cue indicating the trajectory of the medical instrument. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising rendering and causing the display to display a volume that will be affected by an ablation pass for a current position and orientation of the medical instrument and for its operational specifications. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising rendering guidance graphics including:
 schematic 3D structures to emphasize a spatial relationship of the ultrasound image and the medical instrument; and   guidance cues between the virtual medical instrument and a plane defined by the orientation of the ultrasound image.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the guidance cues comprise projection lines connecting the virtual medical instrument to the plane defined at least in part by the orientation of the ultrasound image. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising tracking deployment of tines of the medical instrument and causing the display to display medical instrument tine deployment.