Apparatus and method for tracking a movable target

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for tracking a movable target (3), in particular tissue (5), the apparatus (1) comprising at least one applicator (7) for marking the target (3) with at least one type of markers (11), and at least one tracking system (9) which is adapted for monitoring at least the at least one type of markers (11). In order to provide an apparatus and a method for tracking a movable target (3), in particular tissue (5) which improve the reliability of the target tracking and which reduce the risk of damaging a target, it is intended according to the invention that the at least one applicator (7) is adapted for generating a randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) on the target (3).

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for tracking a movable target (3) of patient tissue during surgery, the apparatus (1) comprising: at least one applicator (7) for marking the movable target (3) during surgery with at least one type of markers (11), and at least one tracking system (9) which is adapted for monitoring the at least one type of markers (11), wherein the at least one applicator (7) is adapted for generating a randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) on the movable target (3) and for marking the movable target (3) by spraying the at least one type of markers (11) on the movable target (3) during surgery, wherein the randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) comprises a plurality of randomly distributed spots (17) of a dye (25) on the movable target.

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the randomly distributed spots (17) have randomly distributed spot sizes.

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 2, wherein the randomly distributed spots (17) are circular in shape and have randomly distributed spot diameters (19).

4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one type of markers (11) is provided in a solution (21) together with at least one adhesive (23) which is adapted to adhere the at least one type of markers (11) on the movable target (3).

5. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tracking system (9) includes an optical system (29).

6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one applicator (7) is adapted for providing at least two differently colored dyes (25) in the randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) on the movable target (3).

7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one applicator (7) is adapted for providing at least two differently colored dyes (25), each of the at least two differently colored dyes (25) being applied in a respective randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) on the movable target (3).

8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 5, wherein the dye (25) includes a fluorophore (27).

9. The apparatus (1) according to claim 8, wherein the optical system (29) is a fluorescence imaging microscope (31).

10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one type of markers (11) is detectable by at least one of the following techniques: X-ray-imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultra sound imaging and positron emission tomography.

11. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the movable target (3) is tissue (5).

12. A method for tracking a movable target (3) of patient tissue during surgery, the method comprising the steps of: randomly distributing a pattern (13) of at least one type of markers (11) on the movable target (3) using at least one applicator (7), wherein the markers (11) are distributed on the movable target (3) by spraying in a contactless manner during surgery whereby the at least one applicator (7) does not touch the movable target (3), and wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of randomly distributed spots (17) of a dye (25); and tracking the randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) using at least one tracking system (9).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least two different types of markers (11) are distributed on the movable target (3).

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pattern (13) of markers (11) is tracked by at least one fluorescence imaging microscope (31).

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pattern (13) of markers (11) is tracked using at least one of the following techniques: X-ray-imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultra sound imaging, and positron emission tomography.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING VIEWS

(1) In the following figures, elements having the same function and/or the same structure will be referenced by the same reference numerals.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention; and

(4) FIG. 2a-2c show exemplary patterns of randomly distributed markers according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) In the following, an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 1 according to the invention, is described with respect to FIG. 1

(6) The apparatus 1 is intended for tracking a movable target 3, which is preferably (but not mandatory) tissue 5. The apparatus 1 comprises at least one applicator 7 and at least one tracking system 9.

(7) The applicator 7 is adapted for marking the target 3 with at least one type of markers 11. The at least one tracking system 9 is adapted for monitoring the at least one type of markers 11. According to the invention, the at least one applicator 7 is adapted for generating a randomly distributed pattern 13 of markers 11 on the target 3.

(8) Preferably, the at least one type of markers 11 is sprayed by the applicator 7 on the target 3 in order to provide a randomly distributed pattern 13. Therefore, the at least one applicator 7 may be or may comprise a spraying device 15.

(9) The pattern 13 may be formed by a plurality of randomly distributed spots 17 of markers 11. The spots 17 may vary in their spot sizes, wherein the spot size is generally defined by the diameter 19 of the spots 17. Randomly distributed spot diameters 19 can guarantee that each pattern 13, which is generated by the applicator 7 is unique.

(10) Preferably, the at least one type of markers 11 is provided in a solution 21 such that spraying the markers 11 with the applicator 7 is facilitated. The solution 21 may further comprise at least one adhesive 23 which is capable of sticking the at least one type of markers 11 on the target 3. The at least one type of markers 11 is preferably a dye 25. More preferably, the at least one type of markers 11 is a fluorophore 27.

(11) Especially in the case that the at least one type of markers 11 is a fluorophore 27, the at least one tracking system 9 is preferably an optical system 29, more preferably a fluorescence imaging microscope 31. The fluorescence imaging microscope 31 may comprise all necessary parts for performing fluorescence imaging microscopy, such as an illumination arrangement (not shown), image recognition systems and/or others. The apparatus 1 may also be provided with detectors that use techniques that are different from fluorescence imaging. Just by way of example, the apparatus 1 may be provided with at least one system (not shown) for X-ray-imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultra sound imaging and/or positron emission tomography, or others. In this case, the at least one type of markers 11 is preferably chosen such that it can be detected by at least one of these additional systems. More preferable, the at least one type of markers 11 is chosen that it can be detected by at least one of these additional systems and by the fluorescence imaging microscope 31. For this purpose, the at least one type of markers 11 can either contain at least one substance that fulfils this requirement or can contain different substances, wherein each substance is chosen in order to be detectable by at least on method that is used. The at least one detector for an additional method may be a separate system or may be included in the tracking system 9.

(12) The at least one applicator 7 is preferably adapted for providing at least two different types of markers 11, in particular two differently-colored dyes 25. The differently-colored dyes 25 may be provided simultaneously. This can, for example, be done by either providing two dyes 25 in the same solution 21 or providing the applicator 7 with two separated spraying devices 15.

(13) Alternatively, at least two different dyes 25 may be provided subsequently. Each type of dye 25 may form its own pattern 13. Each pattern 13 may then be tracked by the tracking system 9, in particular by a fluorescence imaging microscope 31.

(14) An example of three different patterns 13 which are provided on the same target 3 is shown in FIGS. 2a-2c.

(15) The same target 3 is marked with three different dyes 25, wherein each dye 25 has a different color. Due to the random distribution of the spots 17, three different patterns 13 are formed wherein each pattern 13 is composed of a dye 25 of a certain color. A fluorescence imaging microscope 31 may be used to monitor each pattern 13 independently of the other patterns. Further, a fluorescence imaging microscope 31 may be used to show all three patterns 13 on a display (not shown), wherein each pattern 13 is shown in another color. This may help with improving the tracking of the target 3.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(16) 1 apparatus 3 target 5 tissue 7 applicator 9 tracking system 11 markers 13 pattern 15 spraying device 17 spot 19 spot diameter 21 solution 23 adhesive 25 dye 27 fluorophore 29 optical system 31 fluorescence imaging microscope