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Apparatus and method for determining a location of an anatomical target with reference to a medical apparatus
| Details |
Inventors: Cosman, Eric R.;
Assignee: Sherwood Services AG (Shaffhausen, CH)
Primary Examiner: Smith; Ruth S.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
A system for positioning and repositioning of a portion of a patient's body with respect to a treatment or imaging machine includes multiple cameras to view the body and the machine. Index markers, either light-emitting, passive, geometric shapes, or natural landmarks, are identified and located by the cameras in 3D space. In one embodiment, such reference or index markers are in a determinable relationship to analogous markers used during previous image scanning of the patient. Anatomical targets determined from image scanning can be located relative to reference positions associated with the treatment or diagnostic machine. Several forms of camera, index markers, methods and systems accommodate different clinical uses. X-ray imaging of the patient further refines anatomical target positioning relative to the treatment or diagnostic imaging reference point. Movements of the patient based on comparative analysis of imaging determined anatomical targets relative to reference points on treatment or diagnostic apparatus are controlled by the system and process of the invention. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Frameless stereotaxy is widely used in the field of neurosurgery.
It involves the quantitative determination of anatomical positions based on scan data taken from a CT, MRI or other scanning procedures to obtain three-dimensional scan data.
Typically, the image scan data is placed in a computer to provide a three-dimensional database that may be variously used to provide graphic information.
Essentially, such information is useful in surgical procedures and enables viewing a patient's anatomy in a graphics display.
The use of stereotactic head frames is commonplace, for example, see U.
S.
Pat.
No.
4,608,977 issued Sep.
2, 1986 and entitled, System Using Computed Tomography as for Selective Body Treatment.
Such structures employ a head fixation device typically with some form of indexing to acquire referenced data representative of scan slices through the head.
The scan data so acquired is quantified relative to the head frame to identify individual slices.
Three-dimensional scan data has been employed to relate positions in a patient's anatomy to other structures so as to provide a composite graphics display.
For example, a space pointer (analogous to a pencil) might be directed at a patient's anatomy and its position quantified relative to the stereotactic scan data.
The space pointer might be oriented to point at an anatomical target and so displayed using computer graphics techniques.
Such apparatus has been proposed, using an articulated space pointer with a mechanical linkage.
In that regard, see an article entitled "An Articulated Neurosurgical Navigational System Using MRI and CT Images," IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Volume 35, No.
2, February 1988 (Kosugi, et al.
) incorporated by reference herein.
Further to the above considerations, the need for relating external treatment apparatus to a specific target arises in several aspects.
For example, the need arises in relation to the treatment of internal anatomical targets, specifically to position and maintain such targets with respect to a beam or isocenter of a linear accelerator (LINAC) X-ray treatment machine
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Image Analysis 
