Imaging apparatus and interventional instrument event mapper

1. A system, comprising:

an interventional instrument; including:

an interventional instrument event tracking transmitter that transmits an interventional instrument event signal in response to a predetermined interventional instrument event by interventional instrument in connection with an interventional procedure for a region of interest of a subject; and

an actuator that invokes the tracking transmitter to transmit the signal in response to a user input; and

an imaging apparatus, including:

an imager that generates image of the region of interest of the subject;

a receiver that receives the interventional instrument event signal, and

an instrument event mapper that maps the predetermined interventional instrument event to the image based on the received interventional instrument event signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus includes an ultrasound imaging device and the imager includes an ultrasound transducer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instrument event mapper generates the mapping at a point in time during the interventional procedure in which the predetermined interventional instrument event occurred.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a physical mechanical switch.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the user input includes actuation of the physical mechanical switch.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the actuation is selected from a group consisting of a push of a button, a pivot of a lever, or a slide of an element.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interventional instrument includes one of a biopsy needle, a guide wire, or a lumen and the interventional instrument event is a biopsy.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is included in a data file, and the instrument event mapper includes the signal in the data file with the image.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is included in a data file and the signal includes a time at which the interventional instrument event occurred, and the instrument event mapper includes time in the data file.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an instrument tracking system that generates a position signal indicative of a location and orientation of the interventional instrument in the subject and conveys the position signal to the imaging apparatus, wherein the instrument event mapper maps the interventional instrument event signal to the location and orientation of the interventional instrument.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least a second imaging apparatus, the at least second imaging apparatus, including: a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus or a computed tomography imaging apparatus.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, in electronic format, a signal indicating an occurrence of an action of an interventional instrument at region of interest in a subject at a point in time during an interventional procedure;

mapping the signal to an image acquired at the point in time during the interventional procedure in which the action occurred, generating a mapping signal; and

storing the mapping signal in computer memory.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mapping includes mapping a location at which the action occurred to the image.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mapping identifies the image acquired at a same point in time at which the action occurred.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

incorporating the mapping signal in a data file including the image and storing the data file in the computer memory.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the interventional instrument includes one of a biopsy needle, a guide wire, or a lumen.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the action includes acquiring a biopsy sample.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

moving the interventional instrument to the region of interest under image guidance.

19. A system, comprising:

means for performing an interventional procedure;

means for acquiring image data for the interventional procedure;

a receiver that receives a signal transmitted by the means for performing the interventional procedure, wherein the signal indicates a predetermined interventional procedure event occurred; and

an instrument event mapper that generates a mapping between the signal and a corresponding image generated by the means for acquiring image data at a point in time during the interventional procedure in which the event occurred.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the mapping maps the signal to a location and an orientation of the interventional instrument to the image.