Method, system and apparatus for displaying surgical engagement paths

1. A method of displaying surgical path data in a computing device having an input device, a display, a memory and a processor interconnected with the input device, the display, and the memory, the method comprising:

storing, in the memory, (i) an image of a volume of patient tissue having an outer surface, and (ii) anatomical data defining anatomical features of the volume, including a plurality of diffusion tracts in the patient tissue and a plurality of sulci in the patient tissue;

receiving, at the processor, an identifier of a target location within the volume;

at the processor, generating a plurality of paths from the outer surface to the target location, each path having a start point located on the outer surface, and an end point at the target location;

for each of the plurality of paths, determining a score at the processor based on a comparison between the path and the anatomical data to:

identify a number of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path; and

identify the nearest sulcus to the path, and determine the distance from the nearest sulcus to the path; and

controlling the display to present the outer surface and, at the locations of the start points, indications of the respective scores of the paths corresponding to the start points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anatomical data defines a plurality of diffusion tracts, and wherein determining a score comprises identifying, at the processor, a volume of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the score comprises determining a plurality of scores respective to different types of anatomical features, and combining the scores.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the display comprises converting the scores to display values, and presenting the display values as the indications of the scores.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the display values comprise at least one of a brightness and a color.

6. A computing device for displaying surgical path data, comprising:

an input device;

a display;

a memory storing (i) an image of a volume of patient tissue having an outer surface, and (ii) anatomical data defining anatomical features of the volume, including a plurality of diffusion tracts in the patient tissue and a plurality of sulci in the patient tissue; and

a processor interconnected with the input device, the display, and the memory, the processor configured to:

receive an identifier of a target location within the volume;

generate a plurality of paths from the outer surface to the target location, each path having a start point located on the outer surface, and an end point at the target location;

for each of the plurality of paths, determine a score based on a comparison between the path and the anatomical data to:

identify a number of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path; and

identify the nearest sulcus to the path, and determine the distance from the nearest sulcus to the path; and

control the display to present the outer surface and, at the locations of the start points, indications of the respective scores of the paths corresponding to the start points.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the anatomical data defines a plurality of diffusion tracts, and wherein determining a score comprises identifying, at the processor, a volume of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path.

8. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein determining the score comprises determining a plurality of scores respective to different types of anatomical features, and combining the scores.

9. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein controlling the display comprises converting the scores to display values, and presenting the display values as the indications of the scores.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the display values comprise at least one of a brightness and a colour.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of computer-readable instructions for execution by a processor of a computing device having an input device, a display, and a memory connected to the processor, to perform a method comprising:

storing, in the memory, (i) an image of a volume of patient tissue having an outer surface, and (ii) anatomical data defining anatomical features of the volume, including a plurality of diffusion tracts in the patient tissue and a plurality of sulci in the patient tissue;

receiving, at the processor, an identifier of a target location within the volume;

at the processor, generating a plurality of paths from the outer surface to the target location, each path having a start point located on the outer surface, and an end point at the target location;

for each of the plurality of paths, determining a score at the processor based on a comparison between the path and the anatomical data to:

identify a number of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path; and

identify the nearest sulcus to the path, and determine the distance from the nearest sulcus to the path; and

controlling the display to present the outer surface and, at the locations of the start points, indications of the respective scores of the paths corresponding to the start points.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the anatomical data defines a plurality of diffusion tracts, and wherein determining a score comprises identifying, at the processor, a volume of the diffusion tracts intersected by the path.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining the score comprises determining a plurality of scores respective to different types of anatomical features, and combining the scores.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein controlling the display comprises converting the scores to display values, and presenting the display values as the indications of the scores.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the display values comprise at least one of a brightness and a colour.