Imaging system and methods displaying a fused multidimensional reconstructed image

1. An imaging system comprising:

at least one photosensor configured to record a visualization of a surgical site;

a visualization generation system configured to create a multidimensional visualization based on the recorded visualization of the surgical site;

an interface configured to receive image data of the surgical site from at least one of a medical device and a server that stores the image data from a medical device;

a depth-increase button and/or a depth-decrease button adapted to respectively signal an increase and a decrease in a viewing depth of a currently displayed view of the multidimensional visualization, in response to user input;

a processor in communication with a display device and a memory, the memory storing instructions for guiding a surgeon in viewing relatively deep anatomic structures in a selected portion of the multidimensional visualization;

wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

create a three-dimensional image based on the image data;

display the multidimensional visualization of the surgical site; and

scroll through different values of the viewing depth of the multidimensional visualization in response to the user input, via the depth increase button and/or the depth decrease button.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

select a respective portion of the three-dimensional image that corresponds to the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization;

combine the respective portion of the three-dimensional image with the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization for a combined visualization; and

cause the display device to display the combined visualization.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a depth meter configured to indicate coordinates of the viewing depth of the multidimensional visualization.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

automatically display a portion of a multidimensional reconstructed image of the surgical site having a same depth coordinate as the currently displayed view of the multidimensional visualization.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to:

cycle through the different values of the viewing depth of the multidimensional visualization until a desired depth is displayed, based on the user input.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to:

update the currently displayed view as the different values of the viewing depth are cycled through.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein:

the multidimensional visualization includes a view of a craniotomy; and

execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the processor to control a back-side depth of the multidimensional reconstructed image by moving forward a rear boundary of the multidimensional visualization until a desired depth is displayed.

8. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a voice activated control system in communication with the processor, the voice activated control system being configured to enable a user to control alignment of the three-dimensional image with the multidimensional visualization of the surgical site.

9. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein:

the image data includes data from at least one of a computed tomography (“CT”) scan, a computed tomography angiography (“CT-A”) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) scan, or a positron emission tomography (“PET”) scan.

10. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein:

the image data includes at least one of pre-operative image data, perioperative image data, or intra-operative image data.

11. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein combining the respective portion of the three-dimensional image with the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization includes:

identifying first features of the multidimensional visualization, identifying second features of the three-dimensional image and aligning the first features to correspond to the second features.

12. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein combining the respective portion of the three-dimensional image with the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization includes at least one of:

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

applying a smoothing function to a boundary between the respective portion of the three-dimensional image and the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization.

13. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

transmit an instruction to the display device specifying a location of the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization to which the respective portion of the reconstructed image is to be superimposed as a graphic.

14. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is configured to create the three-dimensional image based on volumetric information of the image data; and

the volumetric information includes values defining an image at each point in a coordinate plane.

15. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein:

the values of the volumetric information include at least one of density values and intensity values.

16. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein:

the processor is configured to create the three-dimensional image by using the at least one of the density values and intensity values to define a tissue.

17. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein combining the respective portion of the three-dimensional image with the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization includes:

identifying a respective target structure within the multidimensional visualization;

identifying the respective target structure within the three-dimensional image;

aligning the three-dimensional image with the multidimensional visualization such that the respective target structure within the multidimensional visualization is aligned with the respective target structure within the three-dimensional image; and

identifying the respective portion of the three-dimensional image that is located at a same location as the selected portion of the multidimensional visualization.

18. The imaging system of claim 17 , wherein:

the target structure includes a marked screw, the marked screw being registered intra-operatively with at least one of an O-arm imaging device and a C-arm imaging device.