Automatic display of previously-acquired endoluminal images
Apparatus and methods are provided for use with an endoluminal data-acquisition device that acquires a set of endoluminal data-points of a lumen of a subject's body at respective locations inside the lumen, a second endoluminal device, and a display configured to display images. At least one processor includes location-association functionality that associates a given data point acquired by the endoluminal data-acquisition device with a given location within the lumen. Location-determination functionality determines, by means of image processing, in an extraluminal image of the second endoluminal device, a current location of at least a portion of the second endoluminal device. Display-driving functionality drives the display to display an indication of the endoluminal data point associated with the location, in response to determining that the portion of the second device is currently at the location. Other applications are also described.
1. A system for guiding an endoluminal therapeutic procedure, comprising:
a display; and
at least one computer processor in communication with the display and configured to:
receive a plurality of endoluminal images obtained at a first time by an endoluminal imaging catheter at a plurality of locations, respectively, within a lumen of a subject;
associate the plurality of endoluminal images with the plurality of locations within the lumen;
receive a plurality of extraluminal images obtained at a later second time by an extraluminal imaging device, wherein the plurality of extraluminal images includes a representation of an endoluminal therapeutic device within the lumen;
determine at the later second time, with image processing of the plurality of extraluminal images obtained at the later second time, a current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device within the lumen;
associate, at the later second time, the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device with a location of the plurality of locations;
identify at the later second time, from the plurality of endoluminal images obtained at the first time, an endoluminal image corresponding to the location; and
cause the display to simultaneously display:
at least one extraluminal image of the plurality of extraluminal images, wherein the at least one extraluminal image includes the representation of the endoluminal therapeutic device; and
the identified endoluminal image corresponding to the location, wherein the endoluminal image is automatically updated based on the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to determine the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device by determining a location of a radiopaque portion of the endoluminal therapeutic device in the at least one extraluminal image.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the endoluminal imaging catheter.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the endoluminal therapeutic device.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an endoluminal data-acquisition device in communication with the at least one computer processor and configured to acquire a set of endoluminal data points along the lumen.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to cause the display to display endoluminal data points acquired by the endoluminal data-acquisition device that are associated with the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the endoluminal imaging catheter comprises an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging catheter.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to cause the display to display an indication of the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device within the lumen with respect to an endoluminal image stack of the lumen generated using the endoluminal images acquired by the endoluminal imaging catheter.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of extraluminal images includes a representation of the endoluminal imaging catheter;
the representation of the endoluminal imaging catheter represents a radiopaque portion that is visible in extraluminal images of the endoluminal imaging catheter within the lumen, and
the at least one computer processor is configured to associate the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device with the location of the plurality of locations associated with an endoluminal image of the plurality of endoluminal images by determining, with image processing of the plurality of extraluminal images, a location of at least the radiopaque visible portion of the endoluminal imaging catheter within the lumen.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to determine the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device by determining a location of a tool for delivering at least one of a balloon, a stent, a valve, a graft, an implantable device, or a delivery tool.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the endoluminal therapeutic device represents a guidewire configured to penetrate an occlusion of the lumen, and wherein the at least one computer processor is configured, by image processing the plurality of extraluminal images, to determine a current location of at least a portion of the guidewire within the lumen.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to receive the plurality of extraluminal images with the endoluminal imaging catheter absent in the plurality of extraluminal images.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to:
associate the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device with a first location in the lumen;
in response to associating the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device with the first location, display a first endoluminal image corresponding to the first location;
determine whether the endoluminal therapeutic device has moved to a second location; and
in response to determining that the endoluminal therapeutic device has moved to a second location, update the display to display a second endoluminal image corresponding to the second location.
14. A method for guiding an endoluminal therapeutic procedure, comprising:
controlling, by at least one computer processor, an endoluminal imaging catheter to obtain, at a first time, a plurality of endoluminal images at a plurality of locations within a lumen of a subject;
receiving, by the at least one computer processor, the plurality of endoluminal images;
associating, by the at least one computer processor, the plurality of endoluminal images with the plurality of locations within the lumen;
receiving, by the at least one computer processor, a plurality of extraluminal images obtained at a later second time by an extraluminal imaging device, wherein the plurality of extraluminal images includes a representation of an endoluminal therapeutic device within the lumen;
determining, with image processing of the plurality of extraluminal images, a current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device within the lumen;
associating, by the at least one computer processor, the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device with a location of the plurality of locations;
identifying, from the plurality of endoluminal images, an endoluminal image corresponding to the location; and
causing, by the at least one computer processor, the display to simultaneously display:
at least one extraluminal image of the plurality of extraluminal images, wherein the at least one extraluminal image includes the representation of the endoluminal image; and
the endoluminal image corresponding to the location, wherein the endoluminal image is automatically updated based on the current location of the endoluminal therapeutic device.