Patents by Inventor Songbai Ji

Songbai Ji has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230320649
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon’s perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventors: David W. ROBERTS, Keith D. PAULSEN, Alexander HARTOV, Songbai JI, Xiaoyao FAN
  • Patent number: 11690558
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventors: David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen, Alexander Hartov, Songbai Ji, Xiaoyao Fan
  • Patent number: 11406471
    Abstract: This invention provides a hand-held stereovision (HHS) system that is an efficient, accurate, and radiation-free imaging device to acquire intraoperative profiles of the exposed spine in prone position. The reconstructed intraoperative stereovision surfaces (iSV) are registered with preoperative CT (pCT; supine position) in a nonrigid fashion to generate updated CT images (uCT) and correct for vertebral posture and alignment changes. Updated CT images are uploaded to a commercial navigation system for surgical navigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Keith D. Paulsen, Xiaoyao Fan, Songbai Ji, Sohail K. Mirza
  • Publication number: 20220007991
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: David W. ROBERTS, Keith D. PAULSEN, Alexander HARTOV, Songbai JI, Xiaoyao FAN
  • Patent number: 11129562
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen, Alexander Hartov, Songbai Ji, Xiaoyao Fan
  • Publication number: 20200170535
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: David W. ROBERTS, Keith D. PAULSEN, Alexander HARTOV, Songbai JI, Xiaoyao FAN
  • Patent number: 10568535
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen, Alexander Hartov, Songbai Ji, Xiaoyao Fan
  • Patent number: 9655545
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring mechanical properties of tissue has a stereo optical surgical microscope with at least one objective lens and at least two digital cameras such that paired images obtained from the digital cameras form stereo pairs, and a digital image processing system adapted to determine surface topography of tissue from the stereo pairs of images and a resulting surface displacement map as a result from indentation. The apparatus has an one indenter; and mechanical modeling routines stored in memory of the image processing system, the mechanical modeling routines capable of constructing computer models of mechanical properties of tissue, and fitting parameters of the computer model to observed surface displacement maps generated by coregistering surface topography of tissue with and without the indenter positioned on the tissue. In an embodiment, fitted parameters of the computer model are displayed and used to adjust a surgical plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen
  • Publication number: 20170085855
    Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: David W. ROBERTS, Keith D. PAULSEN, Alexander HARTOV, Songbai JI, Frederic LEBLOND, Brian W. POGUE, Scott C. DAVIS, Dax KEPSHIRE
  • Publication number: 20160321425
    Abstract: A system for evaluating head injury or personal protective systems uses instrumented helmets or instrumented dummies to transmit accelerometer readings to a computing system having code to determine impact accelerations. The code reads and interpolates separately for pressure and strain between precomputed simulation results nearest the impact in a database of precomputed head impact model simulation results, then combines these to give a combined result. In embodiments, the precomputed result includes strain on neural tracts, a pressure map, or both strain and pressure map. A method of evaluating an impact includes transmitting accelerometer readings from instrumented helmets or dummies to a computing system upon impact; determining angle and acceleration of the impact from the readings; reading and interpolating between precomputed simulation result in the database of strain and pressure simulation results nearest in angle and acceleration to the impact; and displaying information from the simulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, Wei Zhao
  • Patent number: 9456200
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, extracting a surface profile from a stereo pair of images obtained at an arbitrary setting S of an optical system, includes determining surface profile reconstruction parameters for images obtained with the optical system at a reference setting So of the optical system; determining warping parameters for a digital image processor for warping images obtained with the optical system at the arbitrary setting S into images corresponding to the reference setting So; obtaining the stereo pair of images from at least one camera of the optical system; warping the stereo pair of images into images corresponding to the reference setting So, and using the surface profile reconstruction parameters to determine the surface profile. In a particular embodiment, the surface profile is passed to a computer model of tissue deformation and used to determine an intra-surgery location of a tumor or other anatomic feature of tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, Xiaoyao Fan, Keith D. Paulsen, David W. Roberts, Alex Hartov
  • Patent number: 9336592
    Abstract: A system and method for determining intraoperative locations of a lesion in tissue from lesion locations determined in preoperative imaging includes determining three dimensional locations of surface features of the organ in the preoperative images. A preoperative surface map is extracted from stereo images annotated with surface features from preoperative images. An intraoperative surface map of the organ is extracted from stereo images, and surface features are identified in the stereo images corresponding to surface features annotated into the preoperative surface map. Three dimensional displacements of the surface features are determined and used to constrain a computer model of deformation of the organ. In embodiments, the model of deformation is adapted or constrained to model locations and dimensions of surgical cavities using an optical flow method and/or locations of surgical instruments in the organ. The model of deformation is used to determine intraoperative locations for the lesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Xiaoyao Fan, David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen, Songbai Ji, Alex Hartov
  • Patent number: 9179888
    Abstract: A method for providing patient registration without fiducials comprises the steps of: spatially placing an ultrasound image of a patient randomly at different starting positions relative to a preoperative image; creating an independent registration corresponding to each different starting positions, by optimizing a spatial transformation between the preoperative image and the ultrasound image to provide a first batch of registrations; executing a second registration to fine-tune the alignment between the preoperative image and the ultrasound image; and concatenating the spatial transformation to obtain spatial transformation between the patient in an operating room and a corresponding preoperative image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, David W. Roberts, Alex Hartov, Keith D. Paulsen
  • Patent number: 9098904
    Abstract: A system and methods are presented for emulating the appearance of prominent features captured in ultrasound through directional dilation of a magnetic resonance gradient image along a direction determined by the relative ultrasound scan-head location with respect to the magnetic resonance gradient image in order to improve the robustness and reliability of registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, David W. Roberts, Alex Hartov, Keith D. Paulsen
  • Publication number: 20150080766
    Abstract: A system for evaluating head injury uses instrumented helmets to transmit accelerometer readings to a computing system configured with machine readable code to determine angle and acceleration of impacts. The system has code to compare the angle and acceleration of the impact to thresholds and read at least one precomputed simulation result corresponding to entries near the impact in a database of precomputed head impact model simulations; and for displaying interpolations from the precomputed simulation result. In particular embodiments, the simulation result includes strain on neural tracts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, Wei Zhao
  • Publication number: 20140369584
    Abstract: A system and method for determining intraoperative locations of a lesion in tissue from lesion locations determined in preoperative imaging includes determining three dimensional locations of surface features of the organ in the preoperative images. A preoperative surface map is extracted from stereo images annotated with surface features from preoperative images. An intraoperative surface map of the organ is extracted from stereo images, and surface features are identified in the stereo images corresponding to surface features annotated into the preoperative surface map. Three dimensional displacements of the surface features are determined and used to constrain a computer model of deformation of the organ. In embodiments, the model of deformation is adapted or constrained to model locations and dimensions of surgical cavities using an optical flow method and/or locations of surgical instruments in the organ. The model of deformation is used to determine intraoperative locations for the lesion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Xiaoyao Fan, David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen, Songbai Ji, Alex Hartov
  • Publication number: 20140371600
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring mechanical properties of tissue has a stereo optical surgical microscope with at least one objective lens and at least two digital cameras such that paired images obtained from the digital cameras form stereo pairs, and a digital image processing system adapted to determine surface topography of tissue from the stereo pairs of images and a resulting surface displacement map as a result from indentation. The apparatus has an one indenter; and mechanical modeling routines stored in memory of the image processing system, the mechanical modeling routines capable of constructing computer models of mechanical properties of tissue, and fitting parameters of the computer model to observed surface displacement maps generated by coregistering surface topography of tissue with and without the indenter positioned on the tissue. In an embodiment, fitted parameters of the computer model are displayed and used to adjust a surgical plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, David W. Roberts, Keith D. Paulsen
  • Publication number: 20140362186
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, extracting a surface profile from a stereo pair of images obtained at an arbitrary setting S of an optical system, includes determining surface profile reconstruction parameters for images obtained with the optical system at a reference setting So of the optical system; determining warping parameters for a digital image processor for warping images obtained with the optical system at the arbitrary setting S into images corresponding to the reference setting So; obtaining the stereo pair of images from at least one camera of the optical system; warping the stereo pair of images into images corresponding to the reference setting So, and using the surface profile reconstruction parameters to determine the surface profile. In a particular embodiment, the surface profile is passed to a computer model of tissue deformation and used to determine an intra-surgery location of a tumor or other anatomic feature of tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, Xiaoyao Fan, Keith D. Paulsen, David W. Roberts, Alex Hartov
  • Publication number: 20140056498
    Abstract: A system and methods are presented for emulating the appearance of prominent features captured in ultrasound through directional dilation of a magnetic resonance gradient image along a direction determined by the relative ultrasound scan-head location with respect to the magnetic resonance gradient image in order to improve the robustness and reliability of registration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Songbai Ji, David W. Roberts, Alex Hartov, Keith D. Paulsen
  • Publication number: 20140044333
    Abstract: A registration framework is presented that registers volumetric breast images captured before surgery with intraoperative surface images. The framework may be implemented using either image-based or model-based registration techniques. The method contains the steps of: identifying an air/tissue boundary from a volumetric image created at a first time; processing the volumetric image with an image filter to emphasize the air/tissue boundary; and registering a surface optically scanned image, with the filtered volumetric image, where the surface optically scanned image is created at a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Richard J. Barth, JR., Songbai Ji, Keith D. Paulsen, Matthew J. Pallone