INSTRUMENT ALIGNMENT AND TRACKING WITH ULTRASOUND IMAGING PLANE

摘要

A tool navigation system employing an ultrasound probe (20), an ultrasound scanner (60), an interventional tool (30) (e.g., a needle or a 41 catheter), a plurality of ultrasound transducers (21, 31), a tool tracker (70) and an image navigator. In operation, the ultrasound probe (20) generates an acoustic image plane for scanning an anatomical region, and the ultrasound scanner (60) generates an ultrasound image of the anatomical region from a scan of the anatomical region. During the scan, the interventional tool (30) is navigated within the anatomical region relative to the acoustic image plane, and the ultrasound transducers (21, 31) facilitate a tracks by the tool tracker (70) of a position of the interventional tool (30) relative to the acoustic image plane. The image navigator displays a graphical icon within the ultrasound image of the anatomical region as generated by the ultrasound scanner (60) for illustrating a tracking by the tool tracker (70) of a distance of the interventional tool (30) relative to the acoustic image plane. One or more aspects of the graphical icon are modulated by the image navigator responsive to the tracked distance of the interventional tool (30) relative to the acoustic image plane as the interventional tool (30) is navigated within the anatomical region.

主权项

1. A tool navigation system, comprising:
an ultrasound probe including a transducer array operable to generate an acoustic image plane for scanning an anatomical region; an ultrasound scanner operatively connected to the ultrasound probe to generate an ultrasound image of the anatomical region; an interventional tool operable to be navigated within the anatomical region relative to the acoustic image plane; a plurality of ultrasound transducers connected to the ultrasound probe)) and at least one ultrasound transducer connected to the interventional tool and insertable with the interventional tool within the anatomical region to communicate at least one ultrasound tracking signal between the plurality of ultrasound transducers of the ultrasound probe and the at least one ultrasound transducer of the interventional tool indicative of a distance of the interventional tool relative to the acoustic image plane as the interventional tool is navigated within the anatomical region; a tool tracker operatively connected to the plurality of ultrasound transducers to track the distance of the interventional tool relative to the acoustic image plane; and an image navigator operatively connected to the ultrasound scanner and the tool tracker to display a graphical icon on the ultrasound image of the anatomical region as generated by the ultrasound scanner for illustrating a tracking by the tool tracker of the distance of the interventional tool relative to the acoustic image plane,
wherein the image navigator is operable to modulate at least one aspect of the graphical icon responsive to the distance of the interventional tool relative to the acoustic image plane as tracked by the tool tracker.