Imaging system and methods displaying a fused multidimensional reconstructed image

1. An imaging system comprising:

a processor;

an input device operatively connected to the processor;

a display device operatively connected to the processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the input device, the display device, and the memory device to:

(a) display a multidimensional visualization of a surgical site;

(b) receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site; and

(c) at the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization, display a portion of a multidimensional reconstructed image which corresponds to the selected multidimensional visualization, the displayed portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image being fused with the displayed multidimensional visualization by:

increasing a transparency of the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization; and

applying a smoothing function to a boundary between the multidimensional reconstructed image and the multidimensional visualization.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the multidimensional visualization is three dimensional and displayed in real time.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image is:

(a) three dimensional; and

(b) generated based on image data captured by a medical imaging machine.

4. The imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the image data includes two dimensional pre-operative image slice data.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization is represented as a window.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the window has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular shape, square shape, rectangular shape and anatomic shape.

7. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to move the position of the window in response to the window being clicked and dragged.

8. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image includes a first feature and a second feature.

9. The imaging system of claim 8 , wherein:

(a) the first feature corresponds to a tumor; and

(b) the second feature corresponds to bone structure.

10. The imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, highlight the first feature.

11. The imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, filter out the first feature.

12. An imaging system comprising:

a processor;

an input device operatively connected to the processor;

a display device operatively connected to the processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the input device, the display device, and the memory device to:

(a) display a multidimensional visualization of a surgical site;

(b) receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site;

(c) at the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization, display a portion of a multidimensional reconstructed image which corresponds to the selected multidimensional visualization, the displayed portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image being fused with the displayed multidimensional visualization;

(d) receive a request for a second portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image having a specific depth; and

(e) display the requested second portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image having the specific depth.

13. An imaging system comprising:

a processor;

an input device operatively connected to the processor;

a display device operatively connected to the processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the input device, the display device, and the memory device to:

(a) display a multidimensional visualization of a surgical site;

(b) receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site;

(c) at the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization, display a portion of a multidimensional reconstructed image which corresponds to the selected multidimensional visualization, the displayed portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image being fused with the displayed multidimensional visualization;

(d) for the displayed multidimensional reconstructed image, receive a request for a depth setting to correspond to a depth that is a specific distance below coordinates of the displayed multidimensional visualization; and

(e) display the portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image having a depth that is at the specific distance below the coordinates of the displayed multidimensional visualization.

14. An imaging system comprising:

a processor;

an input device operatively connected to the processor;

a display device operatively connected to the processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the input device, the display device, and the memory device to:

(a) display a multidimensional visualization of a surgical site;

(b) receive a selection corresponding to a portion of the displayed multidimensional visualization of the surgical site; and

(c) at the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization, display a portion of a multidimensional reconstructed image which corresponds to the selected multidimensional visualization, the displayed portion of the multidimensional reconstructed image being fused with the displayed multidimensional visualization by identifying first features of the multidimensional visualization and aligning the first features to correspond to second features of the multidimensional reconstructed image.

15. The imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the multidimensional visualization is three dimensional and displayed in real time, and

wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image is:

(a) three dimensional; and

(b) generated based on image data captured by a medical imaging machine.

16. The imaging system of claim 15 , wherein the image data includes two dimensional pre-operative image slice data.

17. The imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization is represented as a window and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to move the position of the window in response to the window being clicked and dragged.

18. The imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image includes a first feature and a second feature, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, (i) highlight the first feature, or (ii) filter out the first feature.

19. The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the multidimensional visualization is three dimensional and displayed in real time, and

wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image is:

(a) three dimensional; and

(b) generated based on image data captured by a medical imaging machine.

20. The imaging system of claim 19 , wherein the image data includes two dimensional pre-operative image slice data.

21. The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization is represented as a window and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to move the position of the window in response to the window being clicked and dragged.

22. The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image includes a first feature and a second feature, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, (i) highlight the first feature, or (ii) filter out the first feature.

23. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the multidimensional visualization is three dimensional and displayed in real time, and

wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image is:

(a) three dimensional; and

(b) generated based on image data captured by a medical imaging machine.

24. The imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the image data includes two dimensional pre-operative image slice data.

25. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization is represented as a window and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to move the position of the window in response to the window being clicked and dragged.

26. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the multidimensional reconstructed image includes a first feature and a second feature, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, (i) highlight the first feature, or (ii) filter out the first feature.