Medical device approaches

Abstract

A system and method for providing image guidance for planning approach paths for one or more medical devices at a target location. The system can receive a volumetric medical image, determine a density of content within the volumetric medical image, receive an indication of a target location within the volumetric medical image, identify obstructing objects within the volumetric medical image, and determine a plurality of pathways from an approach region of the volumetric medical image to the target location. The system can cause a display to concurrently display the volumetric medical image and a plurality of emplacements for one or more medical imaging devices.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system for medical device guidance, comprising:
 a display; and   one or more processors configured to:   obtain a volumetric medical image, the volumetric medical image including a plurality of image slices;   identify a target location within the volumetric medical image;   determine a density of content within the volumetric medical image based at least in part on intensity values of voxels associated with the content within the volumetric medical image;   identify a first direct pathway to the target location that does not pass through regions of the volumetric medical image that satisfy a first density threshold;   determine a suggested pose of a medical imaging device based at least in part on the first direct pathway, wherein when the medical imaging device is placed at the suggested pose, a scan path of the medical imaging device at least partially overlaps with the first direct pathway;   identify a second direct pathway to the target location that does not pass through regions of the volumetric medical image that satisfy a second density threshold, wherein the regions that satisfy the second density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include an obstructing object, and wherein the second direct pathway corresponds to a potential entry point into tissue of a patient;   determine a suggested pose of a medical device based at least in part on the second direct pathway; and   cause the display to concurrently display:
 at least part of the volumetric medical image, 
 an indication of the suggested pose for the medical imaging device, and 
 an indication of the suggested pose for the medical device. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the second direct pathway passes through at least two of the plurality of image slices. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein to identify the target location within the volumetric medical image the one or more processors is configured to:
 receive an indication of the target location within the volumetric medical image; and   determine the target location within the volumetric medical image based at least in part on the received indication.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to identify the target location within the volumetric medical image based at least in part on an amount of time that the medical device is located at a particular location. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the second density threshold is based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the medical imaging device, wherein the one or more characteristics of the medical imaging device comprises one or more of a number of imaging sensors of the medical imaging device, a number of transducer crystals of the medical imaging device, an imaging depth of the medical imaging device, a resolution of the medical imaging device, a fade of the medical imaging device, an imaging width of the medical imaging device, an imaging thickness of the medical imaging device, a scan frequency of the medical imaging device, or a type of the medical imaging device. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to identify the first direct pathway based at least in part on a scan depth of the medical imaging device. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein to identify the second direct pathway the one or more processors is configured to:
 capture a volume of voxels between the target location and an entry point;   map the volume of voxels to an image area; and   identify at least a portion of the image area in which an approach region is visible.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the regions that satisfy the first density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a gas. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the regions that satisfy the first density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a bone. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the regions that satisfy the second density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a gas. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the regions that satisfy the second density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a bone. 
     
     
         30 . A method for medical device guidance, the method comprising:
 obtaining a volumetric medical image, the volumetric medical image including a plurality of image slices;   identifying a target location within the volumetric medical image;   determining a suggested pose for a medical imaging device based at least in part on the volumetric medical image;   identifying a direct pathway to the target location that does not pass through regions of the volumetric medical image that satisfy a density threshold, wherein the density threshold corresponds to intensity values of voxels associated with content within the volumetric medical image, and wherein the regions that satisfy the density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include an obstructing object;   determining a suggested pose for a medical device based at least in part on the identified direct pathway; and   causing a display to concurrently display:
 at least part of the volumetric medical image, 
 an indication of the suggested pose for a medical imaging device, and 
 an indication of the suggested pose for the medical device. 
   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising identifying a second direct pathway to the target location that does not pass through regions of the volumetric medical image that satisfy the density threshold, wherein determining the suggested pose of the medical imaging device is based at least in part on the second direct pathway. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein when the medical imaging device is placed at the suggested pose, a scan path of the medical imaging device at least partially overlaps with the second direct pathway. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein identifying the second direct pathway further comprises:
 capturing a volume of voxels between the target location and an entry point;   mapping the volume of voxels to an image area; and   identifying at least a portion of the image area in which an approach region is visible.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein identifying the direct pathway is based at least in part on a scan depth of the medical imaging device. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the density threshold is based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the medical imaging device, wherein the one or more characteristics of the medical imaging device comprises one or more of a number of imaging sensors of the medical imaging device, a number of transducer crystals of the medical imaging device, an imaging depth of the medical imaging device, a resolution of the medical imaging device, a fade of the medical imaging device, an imaging width of the medical imaging device, an imaging thickness of the medical imaging device, a scan frequency of the medical imaging device, or a type of the medical imaging device. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the regions that satisfy the density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a gas. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the regions that satisfy the density threshold correspond to areas of the volumetric medical image that include a bone.