3D Visualization During Surgery with Reduced Radiation Exposure

1 . A method for generating a three-dimensional display of a patient's internal anatomy in a surgical field during a medical procedure, comprising:

a) importing a baseline three-dimensional image of a surgical field to a digital memory storage unit of a processing device;

b) converting the baseline image into a DRR library;

c) acquiring from an imaging device in a first position, a first registration image of a radiodense marker located within the surgical field;

e) acquiring from the imaging device in a second position, a second registration image of the radiodense marker;

f) mapping the first registration image and the second registration image to the DRR library;

g) calculating a position of the imaging device relative to the baseline image by triangulation of the first registration image and the second registration image; and

h) displaying a 3D representation of the radiodense marker on the baseline image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

a) acquiring a first intraoperative image of the radiodense marker from the imaging device in the first position;

b) acquiring a second intraoperative image of the radiodense marker from the imaging device in the second position;

c) scaling the first intraoperative image and the second intraoperative image;

d) mapping the scaled first intraoperative image and the scaled second intraoperative image to the baseline image by triangulation;

e) displaying an intraoperative 3D representation of the radiodense marker on the baseline image.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first intraoperative image and the second intraoperative image are taken at a low dose radiation exposure.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the baseline image is a CT scan.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is a C-Arm.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiodense marker has a known geometry.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiodense marker is one of a pedicle probe, an awl, a tap, a pedicle screw, or a K-wire with a marker.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a location of the first position of the imaging device and a location of the second position of the imaging device and recording said position measurements in the memory storage unit of the processing device.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the C-Arm is automatically rotated to one of the first position or the second position based upon the position measurements stored in the digital memory storage unit.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a first rotation angle of the C-Arm at the first position and a second rotation angle of the C-Arm at the second position and recording said rotation angle measurements in the digital memory storage unit of the processing device.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the C-Arm is automatically rotated to one of the first rotation angle or the second rotation angle based upon the rotation angle measurements stored in the digital memory storage unit.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, uploading a predetermined set of measurement of the radiodense marker to the digital memory storage unit of the processing device.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, determining a set of geometric measurements of the radiodense marker and storing said measurements to the digital memory storage unit of the processing device.

14 . A method for generating a three-dimensional display of a patient's internal anatomy in a surgical field during a medical procedure, comprising:

a) importing a baseline three-dimensional image of a surgical field to a memory storage unit of a processing device, wherein the baseline image is a CT scan;

b) converting the baseline image into a DRR library;

c) acquiring from an imaging device in a first position, a first registration image of a radiodense marker located within the surgical field, wherein the imaging device is a C-Arm and wherein the radiodense marker has a known geometry;

e) acquiring from the imaging device in a second position, a second registration image of the radiodense marker;

f) mapping the first reference image and the second reference image to the DRR library;

g) calculating a position of the imaging device relative to the baseline image by triangulation of the first registration image and the second registration image;

h) displaying a 3D representation of the radiodense marker on the baseline image;

i) acquiring a first intraoperative image of the radiodense marker from the imaging device in the first position;

j) acquiring a second intraoperative image of the radiodense marker from the imaging device in the second position;

k) scaling the first intraoperative image and the second intraoperative image based upon the known geometry of the radiodense marker;

l) mapping the scaled first intraoperative image and the scaled second intraoperative image to the baseline image by triangulation; and

m) displaying an intraoperative 3D representation of the radiodense marker on the baseline image.