Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image that includes a representation of a wall of an anatomical cavity, by overlaying an icon that represents an intrabody tool on a portion of the image that corresponds to a location of the intrabody tool within the anatomical cavity, and overlaying a marker on a portion of the representation of the wall that corresponds to a location at which the intrabody tool would meet the wall, were the intrabody tool to continue moving toward the wall in a direction in which the intrabody tool is pointing. The processor is further configured to display the modified image on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image slice by filling a portion, of the image slice, that corresponds to an anatomical cavity with a representation of a wall of the anatomical cavity, and to display the modified image slice on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A method, including registering a computerized tomography (CT) scan of a patient with a tracking system configured to track a location and an orientation of a sensor in the patient, and displaying the CT scan on a screen. The method further includes tracking coordinates of a probe having the sensor inside the patient using the tracking system. Based on the tracked coordinates, an icon representative of the location of the sensor is overlaid on the CT scan on the screen. The method also includes overlaying on the CT scan a ray, issuing from the icon in a direction corresponding to the orientation of the sensor, and traversing the screen to a termination point chosen responsively to a gray level distribution of the CT scan.

Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image slice by filling a portion, of the image slice, that corresponds to an anatomical cavity with a representation of a wall of the anatomical cavity, and to display the modified image slice on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a processor that receives signals from a probe, as the probe is placed at respective locations on a body of a subject, and derives, from the signals, a set of points that correspond to the respective locations. The processor then registers the set of points with a three-dimensional image of the body, by identifying, for each of the points, one or more voxels of the image whose respective surface normals are oriented within a given angle of an orientation at which the probe was held at the location to which the point corresponds, and computing a transformation that aligns each of the points with a selected one of the voxels that were identified for the point. The processor then tracks, based on the registering, a location of an intrabody tool, in a coordinate system of an imaging device that was used to acquire the image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image slice by filling a portion, of the image slice, that corresponds to an anatomical cavity with a representation of a wall of the anatomical cavity, and to display the modified image slice on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for improving registration of an anatomical image with a position-tracking coordinate system based on visual proximity to bone tissue is presented. The method can comprise identifying, in a three-dimensional (3d) anatomical image of a patient organ, multiple anatomical points corresponding to respective predefined locations on a skin of the patient organ in a first coordinate system, performing initial registration of the first coordinate system and a second coordinate system by correlating between positions in the first coordinate system and respective anatomical points in the second coordinate system, viewing a position in the first coordinate system using a viewing device, when the position does not match a predetermined location, marking the position and weighting the position, and refining the initial registration of the first and second coordinate systems, by re-correlating between the positions, the marked positions and the respective anatomical points.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a processor that receives signals from a probe, as the probe is placed at respective locations on a body of a subject, and derives, from the signals, a set of points that correspond to the respective locations. The processor then registers the set of points with a three-dimensional image of the body, by identifying, for each of the points, one or more voxels of the image whose respective surface normals are oriented within a given angle of an orientation at which the probe was held at the location to which the point corresponds, and computing a transformation that aligns each of the points with a selected one of the voxels that were identified for the point. The processor then tracks, based on the registering, a location of an intrabody tool, in a coordinate system of an imaging device that was used to acquire the image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a processor that receives signals from a probe, as the probe is placed at respective locations on a body of a subject, and derives, from the signals, a set of points that correspond to the respective locations. The processor then registers the set of points with a three-dimensional image of the body, by identifying, for each of the points, one or more voxels of the image whose respective surface normals are oriented within a given angle of an orientation at which the probe was held at the location to which the point corresponds, and computing a transformation that aligns each of the points with a selected one of the voxels that were identified for the point. The processor then tracks, based on the registering, a location of an intrabody tool, in a coordinate system of an imaging device that was used to acquire the image.

Abstract: A system and method for improving registration of an anatomical image with a position-tracking coordinate system based on visual proximity to bone tissue is presented. The method can comprise identifying, in a three-dimensional (3d) anatomical image of a patient organ, multiple anatomical points corresponding to respective predefined locations on a skin of the patient organ in a first coordinate system, performing initial registration of the first coordinate system and a second coordinate system by correlating between positions in the first coordinate system and respective anatomical points in the second coordinate system, viewing a position in the first coordinate system using a viewing device, when the position does not match a predetermined location, marking the position and weighting the position, and refining the initial registration of the first and second coordinate systems, by re-correlating between the positions, the marked positions and the respective anatomical points.

Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image slice by filling a portion, of the image slice, that corresponds to an anatomical cavity with a representation of a wall of the anatomical cavity, and to display the modified image slice on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to modify an image that includes a representation of a wall of an anatomical cavity, by overlaying an icon that represents an intrabody tool on a portion of the image that corresponds to a location of the intrabody tool within the anatomical cavity, and overlaying a marker on a portion of the representation of the wall that corresponds to a location at which the intrabody tool would meet the wall, were the intrabody tool to continue moving toward the wall in a direction in which the intrabody tool is pointing. The processor is further configured to display the modified image on the display. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a processor that receives signals from a probe, as the probe is placed at respective locations on a body of a subject, and derives, from the signals, a set of points that correspond to the respective locations. The processor then registers the set of points with a three-dimensional image of the body, by identifying, for each of the points, one or more voxels of the image whose respective surface normals are oriented within a given angle of an orientation at which the probe was held at the location to which the point corresponds, and computing a transformation that aligns each of the points with a selected one of the voxels that were identified for the point. The processor then tracks, based on the registering, a location of an intrabody tool, in a coordinate system of an imaging device that was used to acquire the image.

Abstract: A method, including registering a computerized tomography (CT) scan of a patient with a tracking system configured to track a location and an orientation of a sensor in the patient, and displaying the CT scan on a screen. The method further includes tracking coordinates of a probe having the sensor inside the patient using the tracking system. Based on the tracked coordinates, an icon representative of the location of the sensor is overlaid on the CT scan on the screen. The method also includes overlaying on the CT scan a ray, issuing from the icon in a direction corresponding to the orientation of the sensor, and traversing the screen to a termination point chosen responsively to a gray level distribution of the CT scan.