Apparatus and Method for Airway Registration and Navigation

Abstract

A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of navigating a navigable medical instrument in a lung of a patient comprising the following steps:
 collecting a first set of X ray based tomographic image information within a first time period forming a first set of image data of said lung;   collecting a second set of X ray based tomographic image information within a second time period forming a second set of image data of said lung;   segmenting said first set of X ray tomographic image information thereby generating a volumetric representation of airways in said lung at a time in said first time period, said volumetric representation defining a lung navigation space;   placing the navigable medical instrument within said lung and therefore within said navigation space, said navigable medical instrument of the type having an electromagnetic navigation sensor located proximate the radiopaque distal tip of said instrument;   registering said navigation sensor within said navigation space; and   displaying on a display the position of said medical instrument distal tip in said navigation space.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of collecting a first set of X ray based tomographic image information within a first time period forming a first set of image data of said lung occurs preoperatively. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of collecting a second set of X ray based tomographic image information within a second time period forming a second set of image data of said lung occurs preoperatively. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of collecting a second set of X ray based tomographic image information within a second time period forming a second set of image data of said lung step occurs intraoperatively. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 segmenting said second set of X ray based tomographic image information thereby generating a representation of said lung and said instrument at a time in said second time period and, 
 displaying on a display a representation of said instrument within said lung.