Abstract: A radiation therapy delivery system (10) includes an ultrasound imaging unit (26), a radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88), a plurality of fiducials (22, 90) located internal to the subject, an image fusion unit (40), and a delivery evaluation unit (38). The ultrasound imaging unit (26) includes a transducer (30) that emits ultrasonic sound waves to image in real-time an anatomic portion of a subject (16) in a first coordinate system. The radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88) delivers amounts of therapeutic radiation in the anatomic portion of the subject in a second coordinate system. The fiducials (22, 90) include implants or a trans-rectal ultrasound probe (80). The image fusion unit (40) registers locations of the plurality of fiducials to at least one of the first and the second coordinate system and tracks the locations of the fiducials in real-time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (10) for providing an object (2) in a body (1), a processor (18) arranged to be used in the system (10) for providing an object (2) in a body (1), an instrument (12) for providing an object (2) into a body (1), a method for detecting a providing of an object (2) in a body (1) and a software product for detecting a providing of an object (2) in a body (1). In order to allow for a providing of an object (2) in a body (1) and a detecting hereof while avoiding the drawbacks on the known approaches, e.g. giving an opportunity for reliable localization in ultrasound images used for real-time monitoring of a medical procedure with reduced error proneness to electromagnetic interference, the invention utilizes the finding that the characteristics of a reception or transmission of an ultrasound transducer (24, 26) are influenced by the surrounding environment of the ultrasound transducer (24, 26).

Abstract: A system and method for tracking an interventional tool (50) based on a spatial alignment of two or more acoustic sensors (20, 21) relative to the interventional tool (50) (e.g., acoustic sensors attached to or embedded in a distal tip of a needle or a catheter). The method can include operating an acoustic imaging device (10) (e.g., a 2D ultrasound probe having a 1D array, linear or curved) to generate an acoustic image plane (11) and operating each acoustic sensor (20, 21) to output an composite acoustic sensing waveform (40, 41) derived from an acoustic sensing of the acoustic beam array. Each composite acoustic sensing waveform (40, 41) can include an array of acoustic beam sensing waveforms (30, 31, 32). The method can further include operating a tracking workstation (70) to track a position of the interventional tool (50) relative to the acoustic image plane (11) derived from a waveform profile analysis of the composite acoustic sensing waveforms (40, 41).

Abstract: The invention relates to a HDR brachytherapy system comprising an ultrasound sensor for being arranged at the location of a brachytherapy catheter (12), wherein the ultrasound sensor is adapted to generate an ultrasound signal based on ultrasound radiation, which has been sent by an ultrasound imaging device preferentially comprising a TRUS probe (40) and which has been received by the ultrasound sensor. The position of the ultrasound sensor is determined based on the generated ultrasound signal, and based on this position of the ultrasound sensor the pose and shape of the brachytherapy catheter and/or the position of a HDR radiation source are determined. This allows for a very accurate determination of the pose and shape of the brachytherapy catheter and/or of the position of the HDR radiation source, which in turn can lead to an improved HDR brachytherapy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method in which a Foley catheter (70) or other medical tool which is equipped with ultrasound (US) sensor(s) (72) is inserted into the prostatic urethra. Based on analysis of the US signal received by these US sensors (72) as the US beams from a transrectal US (TRUS) probe (40) or other ultrasound probe sweep the field of view, it is possible to precisely detect and track these US sensors (72) in the same frame of reference as the TRUS images, thereby precisely delineating the Foley catheter and the course of the prostatic urethra. During the procedure, before each seed is dropped, the delivered dose to the prostatic urethra can be computed based on real-time tracking and segmentation of prostatic urethra and dose radiation based on previously dropped seeds and if necessary, the procedure can be re-planned automatically.

Abstract: Guidance in acquiring ultrasound imaging of a subject to achieve a target view, such as a standard view, entails emitting ultrasound to the subject and receiving, in response, a current ultrasound view (502);matching the received image to a pre-existing image, such as a three-dimensional reference image (503); and, for user assistance, generating, based on the matching, feedback (514-528) for the guidance. The reference image may be a statistical atlas or it may be derived from patient-specific CT or MR scans. The pre-existing image may instead stead be a database image corresponding to a state in a state space. The feedback can be an image derived from the reference image;a graphic indication (508) of a plane of the target view; the received view fused (512) to an image derived from the reference image; or the received view and an image derived from said reference image, the derived image appearing concurrently and enhanced to spatially indicate where the received view registers to the reference image.

Abstract: A system for highlighting an instrument in an image includes a probe (122) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy and a marker device (120) configured to respond to a received ultrasonic signal and emit an ultrasonic signal after a delay. A medical instrument (102) includes the marker device. A control module (124) is stored in memory and configured to interpret the ultrasonic energy received from the probe and from the marker device at the probe to determine a three dimensional location of the medical instrument to highlight a position of the marker device in an image.

Abstract: A system for highlighting an instrument in an image includes a probe (122) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy to and from a volume and a marker device (120) configured to respond to a received ultrasonic signal and emit an ultrasonic signal after a delay. The ultrasonic signal includes one or more pulses configured to generate a marker, when rendered, of a given size at a position within an image. A medical instrument (102) is disposed in the volume and includes the marker device. A control module (124) is stored in memory and is configured to interpret the ultrasonic energy received from the probe and from the marker device to determine a three dimensional location of the medical instrument and to highlight the three dimensional location of the marker device with the marker in the image.

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer (212) is configured for one-way only beamforming (112) of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer is configured for one-way only beamforming of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: A system for providing a remote center of motion for robotic control includes a marker device (104) configured to include one or more shapes (105) to indicate position and orientation of the marker device in an image collected by an imaging system (110). The marker device is configured to receive or partially receive an instrument (102) therein, the instrument being robotically guided. A registration module (117) is configured to register a coordinate system of the image with that of the robotically guided instrument using the marker device to define a position in a robot coordinate system (132) where a virtual remote center of motion (140) exists. Control software (136) is configured to control a motion of the robotically guided instrument wherein the virtual remote center of motion constrains the motion of a robot (130).

Abstract: A method, system, and program product are provided for x-ray pose recovery during an endoscopic procedure. An x-ray image is taken with a C-arm at a first pose, capturing a region of an endoscope with fiducials thereon. The C-arm is moved from the first pose to a second pose at another viewing angle while maintaining the position of the endoscope. Another x-ray image is taken with the C-arm at the second C-arm pose, capturing the region of the endoscope with the fiducials thereon. The location of the fiducials on each x-ray image is determined using segmentation. An iterative optimization is performed using the locations of the fiducials in the two x-ray images to form two-dimensional projections of the three dimensional curve of the region of the endoscope with fiducials thereon to determine the three-dimensional translation and rotation of the C-arm from the first x-ray pose to the second x-ray pose.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product are provided for removing artifacts from an EM field generator from a rotational 3D scan. The method comprises: preoperatively, characterizing the artifacts from the EM field generator over a range of rotational positions of an x-ray source and detector; intraoperatively, determining the position of the EM field generator relative to the x-ray source and detector; and removing the preoperatively characterized artifacts for the determined relative position of the EM field generator from current x-ray image.

Abstract: A radiation therapy system (1) includes an ultrasound (US) imaging unit (2), a registration unit (30), an US motion unit (44), and a real-time dose computation engine (46). The ultrasound (US) imaging unit (2) generates a baseline and real-time US images (3) of a subject body (4) region including a target and one or more Organs At Risk (OARs). The registration unit (30) deformably registers a planning image (32) and the baseline US image (36), and maps (66) radiation absorptive properties of tissue in the planning image (32) to the baseline US image (36). The US motion unit (44) measures motion of the target volume and OARs during radiation therapy treatment based on the real-time US images. The real-time dose computation engine (46) computes a real-time time radiation dose delivered to the tissues based on the tissue radiation absorptive properties mapped from the baseline or planning images to the real-time 3D US images (3).

Abstract: A calibration/surgical tool includes an electromagnetic sensor array of two or more electromagnetic sensors in a known geometrical configuration. Electromagnetic tracking errors are characterized by a mapping of pre-operative absolute and relative errors based on a movement of a calibrated calibration/surgical tool through a pre-operative electromagnetic field. Using statistical mapping, a desired absolute error field is measured either in the clinic as the part of daily quality control checks, or before the patient comes in or in vivo. A resulting error field may be displayed to the physician to provide clear visual feedback about measurement confidence or reliability of localization estimates of the absolute errors in electromagnetic tracking.

Abstract: A method for mapping coordinates between images and tracking systems includes providing (702) a calibration tool having a fixed geometric shape. The calibration tool includes first sensors associated with an imaging mode and second sensors associated with a tracking mode. The first and second sensors are distributed and mounted at known locations on the fixed geometric shape. The first sensors are located (708) in a field of view of an imaging system to determine a position of the calibration tool in image space. The second sensors are tracked (716) to determine a same position of the calibration tool in tracking space. The image space and the tracking space are mapped (722) in a common coordinate system based on artifacts of the calibration tool.

Abstract: A probe (20) generates a plurality of image volumes (13i, 13j) of an anatomical object (10) within a coordinate system (11) and an imaging device (21) generates imaging data (22) representative of the image volumes (13i, 13j) of the anatomical object (10). A position sensor (30) is attached to the probe (20), and a tracking device (31) generates tracking data (22) representative of a tracking of the position sensor (30) within the coordinate system (11). A registration device (40) executes a validation testing of a calibration matrix (51) associated with a spatial relationship between the image volumes (13i, 13j) and the position sensor (30). The validation testing includes a testing of an absolute differential between an image based volume motion (VMIB) and a tracking based volume motion (VMTB) relative to a calibration threshold (CT).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus (20) for imaging a specular object (such as a biopsy needle) and a target anatomy in a tissue, whereby the specular object remains visible even when its location deviates from a target plane (21) including the target anatomy.

Abstract: An interventional system employing an interventional tool (20) having a tracking point, and an imaging system (30) operable for generating at least one image of at least a portion of the interventional tool (20) relative to an anatomical region of a body. The system further employs a tracking system (40) operable for tracking any movements of the interventional tool (20) and the imaging system (30) within a spatial frame reference relative to the anatomical region of the body, wherein the tracking system (40) is calibrated to the interventional tool (20) and the imaging system (30) and a tracking quality monitor (52) operable for monitoring a tracking quality of the tracking system (40)s as a function of a calibrated location error for each image between a calibrated tracking location of the tracking point within the spatial reference frame and an image coordinate location of the tracking point in the image.

Abstract: A system for accounting for electromagnetic (EM) distortion with an EM tracking system includes a sensor array (144) configured to sense EM energy in a target volume. An EM sensing correction module (140) is configured to analyze data from the sensor array to detect EM distorters in the target volume. The EM sensing correction module is further configured to compare distortion fingerprints stored in a database (142) to identify a distortion source.