KR102495465B1 - Needle Position Prediction Method and System for MRI-compatible Biopsy Robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a needle position prediction method for an MRI-based biopsy robot, comprising the steps of extracting a first actual position of the biopsy robot and a first image position of the biopsy robot from a segmented image; generating matched data by matching the actual position with the first image position; converting the second actual position of the biopsy robot into a second image position in the split image based on the matched data; and A step of displaying a second image position on the divided image may be included.

Description

Needle Position Prediction Method and System for MRI-compatible Biopsy Robot

The present invention relates to a needle position prediction method and system for a biopsy robot, and more particularly, to a needle position prediction for a biopsy robot capable of predicting the position of a needle being operated on an MRI image before an operation and displaying it on an MRI image. It relates to methods and systems.

The contents described in this part merely provide background information on the present embodiment and do not constitute prior art.

Biopsy is a type of examination method in which a part of a tissue is collected using a hollow needle in order to quickly determine whether a tumor or nodule is malignant and determine a treatment policy when a tumor or nodule is formed in a patient's body.

Biopsy is an examination of the area suspected of having a tumor before surgery by ultrasound, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc. at the time of early diagnosis of cancer. carry out

Specifically, the operator takes an image of the patient's tumor based on a medical image such as CT or MRI, and takes a medical image of the patient in a state where the biopsy needle is inserted again to confirm the insertion position of the needle.

As such, in order to know the location of the biopsy needle, the location of the biopsy needle must be checked after taking a medical image whenever necessary in a state where the biopsy needle is inserted into the patient. In this case, since the time required for the biopsy procedure increases, there is a problem in that a burden is applied to the patient's body and costs are also increased.

Accordingly, there is a need to introduce a method and system capable of confirming the location of a biopsy needle without additionally capturing a medical image.

Therefore, in order to solve the problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is an MRI-based method that can convert the location of a needle of a biopsy robot to a location in an MRI image without additionally taking an MRI image to confirm the actual moved location. It is intended to provide a needle position prediction method and system for a biopsy robot.

Objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above objects, the needle position prediction method for an MRI-based biopsy robot of the present invention includes the steps of extracting a first actual position of the biopsy robot and a first image position of the biopsy robot in a segmented image. and generating matched data by matching the first actual position with the first image position, and based on the matched data, a second actual position of the biopsy robot as a second image position in the segmented image. Transforming and displaying the location of the second image on the divided image may be included.

In an embodiment of the present invention, prior to the step of extracting the first image location, the step of taking an MRI image of the patient and the biopsy robot before the biopsy procedure and the step of generating the split image by dividing the MRI image can include more.

In an embodiment of the present invention, after the step of generating the matching data, the needle of the biopsy robot for performing the biopsy is ejected, and when the needle moves to the target position, the actual moved position of the needle is determined. The method may further include extracting the second actual location.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the generating of matching data may be a step of generating matching data as a reference so that a 3D actual position of the biopsy robot may correspond to a 2D image position.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the step of extracting the first image position may be a step of extracting based on a plurality of markers provided in the biopsy robot.

In order to achieve the above objects, a needle position prediction system for an MRI-based biopsy robot of the present invention includes a biopsy robot equipped with a needle for biopsy and a plurality of markers, a patient before biopsy, and the biopsy robot. A photographing unit that captures an MRI image, a segmentation unit that divides the image captured by the photographing unit and generates a segmented image, and extracts the position of the first image of the biopsy robot from the segmented image, and extracts the first image position of the biopsy robot. 1. An extraction unit that extracts a real position; a matching unit that generates matched data by matching the first image position extracted from the extractor with the first actual position; and dividing a second actual position based on the matched data. It may include a control unit that converts the position of the second image in the image and a display unit that displays the position of the second image converted by the control unit on the divided image.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the matching data may be a reference so that the 3D actual position of the biopsy robot can correspond to the 2D image position.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may control driving of the biopsy robot and check a first actual position and a second actual position of the biopsy robot.

The present invention converts the actual movement position of the needle of the biopsy robot to the position in the MRI image based on matching data including the initial position information of the biopsy robot, so that the operator can check the position of the needle in real time without additional imaging. can Due to this, there is an effect that the operation time is shortened and the burden on the patient is reduced.

Even if the effects are not explicitly mentioned here, the effects described in the following specification expected by the technical features of the present invention and their provisional effects are treated as described in the specification of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of a needle position prediction system for an MRI-based biopsy robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram for explaining matching data generated before an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram for explaining a process of predicting and displaying the position of a needle during a procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a needle position prediction method for an MRI-based biopsy robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to fully understand the present invention and its operational advantages and objectives achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments. And, in order to clearly describe the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same members.

Throughout the specification, when a certain component is said to "include", it means that it may further include other components, not excluding other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as “… unit”, “… unit”, “module”, and “block” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is hardware, software, or hardware. And it can be implemented as a combination of software.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description may be omitted.

1 is a block diagram of a needle position prediction system for an MRI-based biopsy robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining matching data generated before surgery according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a view for explaining a process of predicting and displaying the position of a needle during a procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the needle position prediction system 100 for an MRI-based biopsy robot includes a biopsy robot 110, a photographing unit 120, a division unit 130, an extraction unit 140, It may include a matching unit 150, a display unit 160, and a control unit 170.

The biopsy procedure robot 110 may be a part of a slave robot equipped with one or more joints for improving procedure accuracy, and may be provided with an end-effector. A medical tool is mounted on the end effector, and power can be transmitted to the medical tool so that the medical tool can be driven. Here, the medical tool may be a needle for performing a biopsy procedure, and the needle may include a tissue collection needle and a guide for guiding the tissue collection needle.

For convenience of description, the biopsy robot 110 of the present invention refers to a guide and is described as including a needle 115, but is not limited thereto. A plurality of biopsy markers are provided at both end points of the guide, so that the position of the guide, ie, the position of the biopsy robot 110, can be confirmed in the MRI image.

In addition, the biopsy robot 110 may be fixed to the side of the operating table to perform a biopsy when a patient is positioned on the operating table, and may be driven such that only a needle is moved and inserted into the patient.

The photographing unit 120 may photograph the patient and the biopsy robot 110 . The photographing unit 120 may be implemented with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or the like, and preferably may be magnetic resonance imaging.

In the present invention, the photographing unit 120 may take a picture after setting the biopsy robot 100 in a state right before the procedure next to the patient. The photographing unit 120 is only driven to take pictures before the procedure, and does not have to be driven during the procedure.

The division unit 130 may divide an image captured by the photographing unit 120 . More specifically, the division unit 130 may divide a 3D MRI image into a 2D MRI image so that the position of the biopsy robot 110 can be confirmed.

The extraction unit 140 is a first actual position, which is the coordinates of the actual position of the biopsy robot 110 on the operating table, and a first image position, which is the coordinates of the image position of the biopsy robot 110 in the two-dimensional segmented MRI image. can be extracted.

More specifically, the three-dimensional coordinates of the actual location where the biopsy robot 110 has moved may be stored in the control unit 160 that controls the driving of the biopsy robot 110, and the extraction unit 140 may control the control unit 160. ) to receive 3-dimensional actual location coordinates. In addition, the extraction unit 140 may extract image position coordinates of the biopsy robot 110 from a 2D segmented MRI image, that is, a segmented image.

In addition, the extraction unit 140 may receive the second actual position, which is the position where the needle of the biopsy robot 100 actually moves, from the control unit 160 .

The matching unit 150 may generate matching data by matching the first actual position of the biopsy robot 110 extracted by the extraction unit 140 with the first image position.

Here, matching data represents initial position information of the biopsy robot 110 . Such matching data can be a criterion for converting the actual movement position of the needle of the biopsy robot 110 into the position of the segmented image, that is, the 3D actual position can be corresponded to the 2D image position. .

The display unit 160 may display an image captured by the photographing unit 120 so that an operator can check it. In addition, the display unit 160 can display matching data as an image.

In addition, the display unit 160 may display a result obtained by converting the second actual position of the biopsy robot 110 into the second image position by the controller 170 so that the operator can check it.

More specifically, the display unit 160 converts the second actual position, which is the position where the needle of the biopsy robot 110 actually moved, to the second image position, which is the position in the segmented image, so that the operator can check in real time. , the change in the length of the needle according to the change in the position of the needle can also be confirmed.

The controller 170 may be configured to control overall operations of the needle position prediction system 100 for the MRI-based biopsy robot. In particular, the controller 160 displays the second actual position, which is the position where the needle of the biopsy robot 110 actually moved, on the split image so that it can be displayed. 130, the extraction unit 140, the matching unit 150, and the display unit 160 may be configured to be controlled.

As an example, the control unit 170 may include, but is not limited to, a processor that is hardware or a process that is software that is executed in the corresponding processor.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a patient (not shown) and a biopsy robot 110 may be installed on an operating table. The biopsy robot 110 is provided with biopsy markers 111 and 113 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, so that the location of the biopsy robot 110 can be confirmed from an MRI image.

When a patient (not shown) and the biopsy robot 110 are photographed using the MRI Scan, which is the imaging unit 120, to generate a 3D MRI image, the division unit 130 converts the MRI image to the location of the biopsy robot 110. A two-dimensional MRI segment image can be created by dividing into MRI Slices for confirmation. At this time, the split image may be displayed at positions 111a and 113a where the biopsy markers 111 and 113 are identified. The extraction unit 140 may extract the 2D coordinates of the positions 111a and 113a identified by the pixel coordinates in the split image, and based on this, the first image position of the biopsy robot 110 may be extracted. . Thereafter, the matching unit 150 may generate matching data by matching the first actual position of the biopsy robot 110 received from the controller 170 with the first image position. The matching data at this time represents initial position information of the biopsy robot 110, and becomes a criterion for allowing the 3-dimensional actual position of the biopsy robot 110 to correspond to a 2-dimensional image position.

1 and 3 , when the needle 115 of the biopsy robot 110 is injected and moved to a target position to perform a biopsy, the controller 170 determines the actual moved position of the needle 115. Recognized as the coordinates of the end point of the needle 115. Thereafter, the second actual position, which is the position where the needle 115 actually moved based on the matching data, may be converted into a position in the split image by applying a Needle Location Prediction (NLP) algorithm. The display unit 160 may display the second actual position, which is the distance the needle 115 has actually moved, on the split image as 115a so that the operator can check it.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a needle position prediction method for an MRI-based biopsy robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 , the needle position prediction method for the MRI-based biopsy robot first sets the patient and the biopsy robot 110 to perform the biopsy in step S401, and then the photographing unit 120 may generate a 3D MRI image by capturing an MRI image.

Next, in step S403, the segmentation unit 130 may generate a 3D MRI image into a 2D segmented image. At this time, the divided image refers to a divided image so that the location of the biopsy robot 110 can be confirmed well.

Next, in step S405, the extraction unit 140 receives the first actual position, that is, the actual position coordinates of the biopsy robot 110 from the control unit 170, and the first image position of the biopsy robot 110 in the divided images. can be extracted.

Next, in step S407, the matching unit 150 may generate matching data by matching the first actual position of the biopsy robot 110 with the first image position. In this case, the matching data may be a standard for converting a 3D actual position, which is a position at which the needle of the biopsy robot 110 actually moves, into a position in a 2D segmented image.

Next, when the biopsy robot 110 moves the needle to the biopsy target position in S409, the controller 170 can extract the second actual position, which is the actual movement position of the needle, as 3D coordinates.

Next, in S411, the controller 170 may convert the second actual position into a second image position based on matching data.

Next, in S413, the display unit 160 displays the converted second image position on the divided image so that the operator can check the needle position of the biopsy robot 110 in real time while performing the procedure.

As such, the method for predicting the position of a needle for an MRI-based biopsy robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is based on matching data including information on the initial position of the needle, and displays the actual movement position of the needle of the biopsy robot through an MRI image. By converting to the position in , the operator can check the position of the needle in real time without additional imaging. Due to this, there is an effect that the operation time is shortened and the burden on the patient is reduced.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications, changes, and substitutions without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments and the accompanying drawings. . The protection scope of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

100: Needle position prediction system for MRI-based biopsy robot
110: biopsy procedure robot
120: shooting unit
130: division part
140: extraction unit
150: matching part
160: display unit
170: control unit

Claims (8)

A biopsy robot equipped with markers at both ends in a longitudinal direction before a biopsy procedure and a recording unit for taking an MRI image of a patient;
a segmentation unit generating segmented images by segmenting the MRI image;
It controls driving of the biopsy robot, recognizes and stores a first actual position of the biopsy robot before the biopsy, and recognizes and stores a second actual position of a needle ejected from the biopsy robot during the biopsy. a control unit;
an extraction unit receiving the first actual position from the control unit and extracting the position of the marker identified in the divided image as a first image position of the biopsy robot;
a matching unit that matches the first actual position with the first image position and transmits matching data indicating initial position information of the biopsy robot; and
A display unit displaying the segmented image generated before the biopsy procedure;
The control unit
converting the second real position into a second image position in the segmented image generated before the biopsy procedure based on the matching data;
the display part
The second image position is displayed on the segmented image generated before the biopsy procedure;
The filming department
Taking MRI images of the patient and the biopsy robot only before the biopsy procedure;
The matching data is
Data that is the reference in converting the 3D actual position of the needle ejected from the biopsy robot to the position in the 2D segmented image
A needle position prediction system for an MRI-based biopsy robot.
According to claim 1,
The biopsy robot
When the patient is located on the operating table, it is fixed next to the operating table to perform a biopsy procedure, and only the needle is ejected and driven to be inserted into the patient during the biopsy procedure.
A needle position prediction system for an MRI-based biopsy robot.
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