Preoperative surgical simulation

Abstract

An apparatus for simulating an image-guided procedure. The system comprises an input for receiving a three-dimensional (3D) medical image depicting an organ of a patient, a model generation unit for generating a 3D anatomical model of the organ according to the 3D medical image, and a simulating unit for simulating a planned image-guided procedure on the patient, according to the 3D anatomical model.

1 . An apparatus for simulating an image-guided procedure, comprising:
 an input unit to receive a three-dimensional (3D) medical image specific to an actual patient undergoing a specific medical procedure obtained by a medical imaging system depicting an anatomical region of the patient undergoing the specific medical procedure wherein the medical image is obtained after administering an intravenous contrast enhancement (ICE) component to the patient in order to improve precision of an automatic 3D segmentation process related to a soft tissue;   a 3D segmentation unit to perform the automatic segmentation process on the 3D medical image specific to the patient and for producing a segmented 3D medical image, wherein the automatic segmentation process comprises classification of data voxels according to respective anatomical parts of said anatomical region and registration of said anatomical region;   a model generation unit to generate a 3D anatomical model of said anatomical region, according to said segmented 3D medical image; and   a simulating unit to simulate an image-guided procedure planned for said patient according to said 3D anatomical model.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the 3D medical image is represented in a 3D data array and the 3D segmentation unit receives as input the 3D data array. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said 3D medical image is represented in digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) format and said 3D anatomical model is presented by sets of data comprising a 3D spline description and polygonal meshes representation. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said 3D anatomical model is a model of a tract and said tract is a member of the following group: a vascular tract, a urinary tract, a gastrointestinal tract, and a fistula tract. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said 3D medical image is a member of the following group: computerized tomography (CT) scan images, magnetic resonance imager (MRI) scan images, ultrasound scan images, and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT scan images. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said planned image-guided procedure is an angioplasty procedure. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface operatively connected to said model generation unit, said user interface is to accept input data that identifies a location in the 3D medical image; 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said simulated planned image-guided procedure is used as a study case during a learning process. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said simulated planned image-guided procedure is used to demonstrate a respective image-guided procedure to said patient. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said simulated planned image-guided procedure is used to document preparation to an operation. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said input unit is configured for receiving a four dimensional (4D) medical image, which is a set of consecutive 3D medical images that depicts said anatomical region during a time period, said model generation unit is configured for generating a 4D anatomical model according to said 4D medical image, said simulating unit is configured for simulating an image-guided procedure planned for said patient according to said 4D anatomical model. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said anatomical region is a member of a group comprising: an organ, a human body system, an area of an organ, a number of areas of an organ, a section of an organ, and a section of a human body system. 
     
     
         13 . A method for performing a simulated image-guided procedure, said method comprising:
 obtaining, by a medical imaging system, a three-dimensional (3D) medical image specific to an actual patient undergoing a specific medical procedure, depicting an anatomical region of the patient undergoing the specific medical procedure, wherein the medical image is obtained after administering an intravenous contrast enhancement (ICE) component to the patient in order to improve precision of an automatic 3D segmentation process related to a soft tissue;   performing, by a computer processor, the automatic 3D segmentation process on the 3D medical image specific to the patient to produce a segmented 3D medical image, wherein the automatic segmentation process comprises classifying data voxels according to respective anatomical parts of said anatomical region and registering said anatomical region;   producing, by the computer processor, a 3D anatomical model of said anatomical region according to said segmented 3D medical image; and   simulating an image-guided procedure planned for said patient according to said 3D anatomical model.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the 3D medical image is represented in a 3D data array and the 3D segmentation unit receives as input the 3D data array. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said planned image-guided procedure is an angioplasty procedure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  comprising:
 receiving input data that identifies a location in the 3D medical image in relation to the automatic segmentation process. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said simulating comprises displaying said 3D anatomical model as a display on an image display device coupled to the computer processor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a step of allowing a system user to mark labels for said planned image-guided procedure according to said display. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said planned image-guided procedure is an angioplasty procedure. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said step of simulating is performed as a pre-operative surgical simulation. 
     
     
         21 - 25 . (canceled)