Granted Patent B2

US 12,414,752 · App. 17/088,853 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Inventor: Norbert Johnson (North Andover, MA)

Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.

A61B6/5235A61B6/4028A61B6/4441A61B6/466A61B6/505G06T7/11G06T7/246G06T7/30G06T7/70G06T17/00G06T19/20G06T2207/10064G06T2207/10081G06T2207/10116G06T2207/20221G06T2207/30012G06T2207/30204G06T2219/2004G06T2219/2016

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A method of determining the 3-dimensional position and orientation of an imaging arm of an x-ray imaging device for taking optimal x-ray images of a vertebral body, the method comprising:

receiving, from the x-ray imaging device, test images including:

a first x-ray image of the vertebral body; and

a second x-ray image of the vertebral body at a different angle than the first x-ray image;

segmenting, among a plurality of vertebral bodies contained in the x-ray test images, vertebral bodies such that known reference points are identified;

identifying a vertebral body among the plurality of vertebral bodies contained in the x-ray test images such that a level of the vertebral body is identified;

retrieving a 3-dimensional model of the vertebral body from a storage device;

aligning the retrieved 3-dimensional model against the identified vertebral body contained in the test images by performing a fluoro-3D merge;

automatically determining a 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm of the x-ray device for taking future optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images based on the aligned 3-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the step of identifying includes identifying a plurality of vertebral bodies contained in the test images;

for each identified vertebral body, repeating the steps of 3-dimensionally aligning and determining the 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the step of identifying includes segmenting the vertebral body in the test images; and

the step of 3-dimensionally aligning includes 3-dimensionally aligning the retrieved 3-dimensional model against the segmented vertebral body.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning includes scaling the size of the 3-dimensional model of the vertebral body to correspond to the identified vertebral body contained in the test images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of 3-dimensionally aligning includes performing a fluoro-CT merge.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images based on the determined 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm;

identifying an additional vertebral body contained in the received optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images;

retrieving a 3-dimensional model of the identified additional vertebral body from the storage device;

3-dimensionally aligning the retrieved 3-dimensional model against the received optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images;

determining the 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm for taking optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images for the identified additional vertebral body based on the aligned 3-dimensional model of the additional vertebral body.

7. The method of claim 1 , prior to receiving test images, further comprising deriving the 3-dimensional model from a 3-dimensional scan of the patient.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

tracking the position and orientation of the imaging arm through navigation markers; and

displaying in a display device a graphical representation of the extent of the imaging arm alignment relative to the optimal 3-dimensional position and orientation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of displaying includes:

displaying a graphical representation of an optimal position and orientation of the imaging arm on a coordinate system;

displaying a graphical representation of a current position and orientation of the imaging arm on the same coordinate system;

continuously updating the location of the graphical representation of the current position of the imaging arm as the imaging arm is being moved.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of continuously displaying includes:

displaying a circle in the center of a coordinate system as the graphical representation of the optimal position of the imaging arm;

varying the size of the graphical representation of the current position of the imaging arm as the imaging arm moves in either X, Y or Z direction.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of displaying includes displaying graphical representation of how closely the imaging arm is aligned with the optimal 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm relative to the identified vertebral body to be imaged.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

continuously tracking the position of the imaging arm through the navigation markers; and

automatically sending instructions to the imaging device based on the determined 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm,

wherein the step of registering the image device to the tracking subsystem is performed without the use of any radio-opaque markers.

13. A method of determining the 3-dimensional position and orientation of an imaging arm of an x-ray imaging device for taking optimal x-ray images of a body part, the method comprising:

registering the imaging device to a tracking subsystem having one or more cameras configured to detect navigation markers located on the imaging device, wherein the navigation markers are optical markers,

receiving, from the x-ray imaging device, test images including:

a first x-ray image of the body part; and

a second x-ray image of the body part at a different angle than the first x-ray image;

segmenting, among a plurality of vertebral bodies contained in the test images, vertebral bodies such that known reference points are identified;

identifying a vertebral body among the plurality of vertebral bodies contained in the x-ray test images such that a level of the vertebral body is identified;

retrieving a generic non patient-specific 3-dimensional model of the body part from a storage device;

aligning the retrieved 3-dimensional model against the identified vertebral body contained in the test images by performing a fluoro-3D merge;

automatically determining a 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm of the imaging device for taking future optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images based on the aligned 3-dimensional model; and

taking the future optimal A-P and lateral x-ray images after the imaging arm has been adjusted to the determined 3-dimensional position and orientation.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising segmenting the body part in the test images, wherein the step of 3-dimensionally aligning includes 3-dimensionally aligning the retrieved 3-dimensional model against the segmented body part.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of aligning includes scaling the size of the 3-dimensional model of the body part to correspond to the body part contained in the test images.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of 3-dimensionally aligning includes performing a fluoro-CT merge.

17. The method of claim 13 , prior to receiving test images, further comprising deriving the 3-dimensional model from a 3-dimensional scan of the patient.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

tracking the position and orientation of the imaging arm through navigation markers; and

displaying in a display device a graphical representation of the extent of the imaging arm alignment relative to the optimal 3-dimensional position and orientation.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of displaying includes:

displaying a graphical representation of an optimal position and orientation of the imaging arm on a coordinate system;

displaying a graphical representation of a current position and orientation of the imaging arm on the same coordinate system;

continuously updating the location of the graphical representation of the current position of the imaging arm as the imaging arm is being moved.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of continuously displaying includes:

displaying a circle in the center of a coordinate system as the graphical representation of the optimal position of the imaging arm;

varying the size of the graphical representation of the current position of the imaging arm as the imaging arm moves in either X, Y or Z direction.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of displaying includes displaying graphical representation of how closely the imaging arm is aligned with the optimal 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm relative to the body part to be imaged.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

continuously tracking the position of the imaging arm through the navigation markers; and

automatically sending instructions to the imaging device based on the determined 3-dimensional position and orientation of the imaging arm.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)