US-12626406-B2 - Tag-guided image positioning method and system

US12626406B2US 12626406 B2US12626406 B2US 12626406B2US-12626406-B2

Abstract

Tag-guided image positioning method includes: defining a three-dimensional space coordinate system based on tag spatial position information obtained by identifying reference image(s) of a patient's body part disposed with reference tag(s), and position/direction data related to a medical device reference point (MDC)/direction (MDD); estimating a target coordinate in system representing a position of a target point based on three-dimensional medical image of patient's body part marked with target point and reference marker(s) corresponding to position(s) of reference tag(s) and reference coordinate(s) in system representing position(s) of reference tag(s); and outputting a positioning result as a basis for whether patient's body part should be adjusted based on a judgment result indicating whether or not in system a distance between target coordinate and a device coordinate representing a position of MDC and a pointing representing MDD are respectively consistent with a predetermined distance/medical device incident direction in radiotherapy plan for patient's body part.

Inventors

Wei-Lun Huang
Yung-Shin TSENG
Wei-Lin Chen
Hui-Yu TSAI

Assignees

NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231117
Priority Date: 20230824

Claims (19)

1 . A tag-guided image positioning method for establishing and/or comparing a relationship between a specific part of a patient and a medical device in a space, and being executed by a computer system, the tag-guided image positioning method comprising the following steps: (1) receiving at least one reference image obtained by using an image capture device to capture at least one reference tag corresponding the specific part in position; (2) using an image recognition technology to identify the at least one reference tag comprised in the at least one reference image, and obtaining tag spatial position information of the at least one reference tag relative to the image capture device based on a positional relationship of the at least one identified reference tag relative to the image capture device in the space; (3) calculating a position of the medical device and calculating a position of at least one target point based on a position of the at least one reference tag to obtain a device coordinate and at least one target coordinate; and (4) determining whether or not the at least one target coordinate is adjacent to the device coordinate to obtain a judgment result.
2 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 1 , wherein step (3) comprises: (3-1) defining a three-dimensional space coordinate system based on the tag spatial position information and position and direction data of the space related to a medical device reference point of the medical device and a medical device direction to obtain at least one reference coordinate representing the position where the at least one reference tag is located, the device coordinate representing a position where the medical device reference point is located, and a pointing representing the medical device direction in the three-dimensional space coordinate system; and (3-2) estimating the at least one target coordinate representing a position where the at least one target point is located in the three-dimensional space coordinate system based on a three-dimensional medical image of the specific part marked with a target marker representing the at least one target point and at least one distinguishable reference marker representing the at least one reference tag corresponding to a position of the specific part and the at least one reference coordinate in the three-dimensional space coordinate system.
3 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 2 , wherein a number of the at least one reference tag is one, when the image capture device is fixed relative to the medical device reference point and the specific part is only attached with the one reference tag, the tag-guided image positioning method further comprises the following step before step (3-1): (5) obtaining the position and direction data from an outside, the position and direction data comprising displacement data of the medical device reference point relative to the image capture device in the space, and direction data of the medical device direction relative to the image capture device in the space.
4 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 2 , wherein when the image capture device is movable relative to the medical device reference point, the specific part is attached with the at least one reference tag, a medical device tag corresponding to the medical device reference point in position and has a unique identification pattern is further disposed in the space where the patient is located, wherein: step (1) comprises: the at least one reference image received by the computer system being obtained by capturing the at least one reference tag and the medical device tag by the image capture device; and step (2) comprises: the computer system further identifying the medical device tag comprised in the at least one reference image, and obtaining the position and direction data based on a positional relationship of the identified medical device tag relative to the image capture device in the space.
5 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 4 , wherein the position and direction data comprises displacement data of the medical device reference point relative to the image capture device in the space, and direction data of the medical device direction relative to the image capture device in the space.
6 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 2 , wherein: step (4) comprises: determining whether or not an estimated distance between the at least one target coordinate and the device coordinate and the pointing in the three-dimensional space coordinate system are respectively consistent with a predetermined distance and a pre-medical device pointing comprised in a predetermined treatment plan to obtain the judgment result.
7 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 6 , wherein step (4) further comprises: when the judgment result indicates that the estimated distance is not consistent with the predetermined distance and/or the pointing is not consistent with the pre-medical device pointing, a positioning result generated by the computer system comprising distance difference data between the estimated distance and the predetermined distance and/or angle difference data between the pointing and the pre-medical device pointing.
8 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference tag has a unique and exposed identification pattern.
9 . The tag-guided image positioning method of claim 2 , wherein the image capture device comprises at least two cameras; wherein before step (1) or after step (4), the tag-guided image positioning method further comprises the at least two cameras capturing the at least one reference tag or a calibration tag located in the space to calibrate a position of the at least one reference coordinate or a calibration coordinate of the calibration tag in the three-dimensional space coordinate system.
10 . A tag-guided image positioning system for establishing and/or comparing a relationship between a specific part of a patient and a medical device in a space, and the tag-guided image positioning system comprising: at least one reference tag disposed on a position corresponding to the specific part; an image capture device disposed in the space where the patient is located, and being configured to capture the at least one reference tag to obtain at least one reference image after a positioning process; a storage module configured to store a tag-guided image positioning application; and a processor configured to execute the tag-guided image positioning application, the tag-guided image positioning application comprising the following steps: (1) receiving the at least one reference image obtained by using the image capture device to capture the at least one reference tag corresponding the specific part in position; (2) using an image recognition technology to identify the at least one reference tag comprised in the at least one reference image, and obtaining tag spatial position information of the at least one reference tag relative to the image capture device based on a positional relationship of the at least one identified reference tag relative to the image capture device in the space; (3) calculating a position of the medical device and calculating a position of at least one target point based on a position of the at least one reference tag to obtain a device coordinate and at least one target coordinate; and (4) determining whether or not the at least one target coordinate is adjacent to the device coordinate to obtain a judgment result.
11 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 10 , wherein step (3) further comprises: (3-1) defining a three-dimensional space coordinate system based on the tag spatial position information and position and direction data of the space related to a medical device reference point of the medical device and a medical device direction to obtain at least one reference coordinate representing the position where the at least one reference tag is located, the device coordinate representing a position where the medical device reference point is located, and a pointing representing the medical device direction in the three-dimensional space coordinate system; and (3-2) estimating the at least one target coordinate representing a position where the at least one target point is located in the three-dimensional space coordinate system based on a three-dimensional medical image of the specific part marked with a target marker representing the at least one target point and at least one distinguishable reference marker representing the at least one reference tag corresponding to a position of the specific part and the at least one reference coordinate in the three-dimensional space coordinate system.
12 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 11 , wherein: the image capture device is fixedly disposed in the space where the patient is located relative to the medical device reference point; the at least one reference tag is attached to the specific part; and the storage module further stores the position and direction data, the position and direction data comprises displacement data of the medical device reference point relative to the image capture device in the space, and direction data of the medical device direction relative to the image capture device in the space.
13 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 11 , further comprising a medical device tag disposed in the space where the patient is located and corresponding to the medical device reference point in position, the medical device tag has a unique identification pattern, wherein: step (1) comprises: the at least one reference image received by the processor being obtained by capturing the at least one reference tag and the medical device tag by the image capture device; and step (2) comprises: the processor further identifying the medical device tag comprised in the at least one reference image, and further obtaining the position and direction data based on a positional relationship of the identified medical device tag relative to the image capture device in the space.
14 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 13 , wherein the position and direction data comprises displacement data of the medical device reference point relative to the image capture device in the space, and direction data of the medical device direction relative to the image capture device in the space.
15 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 11 , wherein: step (4) comprises: determining whether or not an estimated distance between the at least one target coordinate and the device coordinate and the pointing in the three-dimensional space coordinate system are respectively consistent with a predetermined distance and a pre-medical device pointing comprised in a predetermined treatment plan to obtain the judgment result.
16 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 15 , wherein step (4) further comprises: when the judgment result indicates that the estimated distance is not consistent with the predetermined distance and/or the pointing is not consistent with the pre-medical device pointing, a positioning result generated by the processor comprising distance difference data between the estimated distance and the predetermined distance and/or angle difference data between the pointing and the pre-medical device pointing.
17 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 16 , further comprising a display module, the display module being configured with a graphical interface, and the distance difference data and the angle difference data being displayed by the graphical interface.
18 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one reference tag has a unique and exposed identification pattern.
19 . The tag-guided image positioning system of claim 11 , wherein the image capture device comprises at least two cameras; wherein before step (1) or after step (4), the tag-guided image positioning application further comprises following step: the at least two cameras capturing the at least one reference tag or a calibration tag located in the space to calibrate a position of the at least one reference coordinate or a calibration coordinate of the calibration tag in the three-dimensional space coordinate system.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 112131972, filed on Aug. 24, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Field of Invention The present disclosure relates to image positioning. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tag-guided image positioning method and system. Description of Related Art Since uncharged neutrons cannot be turned by using electric fields, like charged particles, such as protons, etc., the current boron neutron capture therapy (hereinafter abbreviated as BNCT) system is limited in physical mechanism, thus making it difficult to realize the design of rotating beam. In addition, for patients receiving BNCT, the irradiation angles and field sizes of the neutron beams received are determined by the evaluation results of the treatment planning systems. Hence, before the BNCT is actually performed, the patient must be positioned through simulation to ensure that the irradiation conditions can be consistent with the irradiation conditions required by the evaluation results. However, in the current artificial positioning method, a medical physicist usually positions the affected part of the patient, such as a tumor, within the range of the beam by visual estimation. In the positioning process, the positions of the affected part and the feature of the patient's body surface must be marked in the three-dimensional computerized tomography (abbreviated as CT) or positron emission tomography (abbreviated as PET) image first. Then, according to the relative distance between the affected part and the feature in the image, the affected part is positioned by utilizing standard measuring tools and quantifying the distance by visual judgment. Because it is positioned in the three-dimensional space, the final positioning is not completed before the judgments and confirmations are performed many times in different dimensions. This positioning method not only varies in quantitative accuracy during the visual judgment due to the visual acuity of the performer, but the entire positioning process may also even take as long as one hour. As a result, the physical and mental burdens are increased on the patient. For the foregoing reason, there is a need to provide a fast and high-accuracy image positioning method for BNCT or other radiotherapies, which is one of the subjects to be solved in the related technical field. SUMMARY The objective of one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tag-guided image positioning method and system that can overcome at least one disadvantage of the related art. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tag-guided image positioning method for establishing and/or comparing a relationship between a specific part of a patient and a medical device in a space, and being executed by a computer system, the tag-guided image positioning method including the following steps: (1) receiving at least one reference image obtained by using an image capture device to capture at least one reference tag corresponding the specific part in position;(2) using an image recognition technology to identify the at least one reference tag included in the at least one reference image, and obtaining tag spatial position information of the at least one reference tag relative to the image capture device based on a positional relationship of the at least one identified reference tag relative to the image capture device in the space;(3) calculating a position of the medical device and calculating a position of at least one target point based on a position of the at least one reference tag to obtain a device coordinate and at least one target coordinate; and(4) determining whether or not the at least one target coordinate is adjacent to the device coordinate to obtain a judgment result; and(4-1) generating and outputting a positioning result to serve as a basis for whether the specific part or the medical device should be adjusted or not based on the judgment result. In the foregoing, step (3) includes: (3-1) defining a three-dimensional space coordinate system based on the tag spatial position information and position and direction data of the space related to a medical device reference point of the medical device and a medical device direction to obtain at least one reference coordinate representing the position where the at least one reference tag is located, the device coordinate representing a position where the medical device reference point is located, and a pointing representing the medical device direction in the three-dimensional space coordinate system; and(3-2) estimating the at least one target coordinate representing a position where the at least one target point is located in the three-dimensional space coordinate system based on a three-dimensional medical image of the specific part marked with a target marker representing the at least one target point and at least one distinguish