Detecting and avoiding blood vessels
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising an emitter sensor opening and detector sensor opening;
a signal emitter component, wherein the signal emitter component transmits a first light signal through the emitter sensor opening in a direction ahead of the tip into a tissue;
a signal detector component, wherein the signal detector component receives a second light signal reflected from the tissue ahead of the tip through a detector sensor opening of the penetration sensor device; and
an analysis component, wherein the analysis component determines an indication of presence of a blood vessel ahead of the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifies the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, thereby differentiating a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method differentiates a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue during a minimally invasive surgery using a device. A device may be any penetration sensor device, such as a dilator sensor device, a hollow needle sensor device, or a trocar sensor device, which penetrates the skin and subcutaneous layers to reach a target location inside the body. The penetration sensor device includes a sensor probe which can make optical measurements to determine various parameters of the tissue at the tip of the sensor probe. These parameters may include an optical signal level returned from tissue contacting the tip of the sensor probe, an oxygen saturation level of the tissue, a total hemoglobin concentration, a blood flow, and a pulse. Based on these parameters, the presence or absence of a blood vessel at the tip of the penetration sensor device can be determined while the device travels towards the target location for surgery.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising an emitter sensor opening and detector sensor opening; a signal emitter component, wherein the signal emitter component transmits a first light signal through the emitter sensor opening in a direction ahead of the tip into a tissue; a signal detector component, wherein the signal detector component receives a second light signal reflected from the tissue ahead of the tip through a detector sensor opening of the penetration sensor device; and an analysis component, wherein the analysis component determines an indication of presence of a blood vessel ahead of the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifies the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, thereby differentiating a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising at least one optical fiber; and electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor unit, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to transmit a first light signal through the at least one optical fiber in the penetration sensor device comprising the tip, wherein the first light signal is emitted in a direction ahead of the tip into a tissue, receiving a second light signal reflected from the tissue ahead of the tip through the at least one optical fiber in the penetration sensor device, determining an indication of presence of a blood vessel ahead of the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifying the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, whereby the system differentiates a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system comprising:
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a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising at least one sensor opening; and electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor unit, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to transmitting a first light signal through at least one sensor opening of the penetration sensor device comprising the tip, receiving a second light signal reflected from the tissue through at least one sensor opening of the penetration sensor device, determining an indication of presence of a blood vessel near the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifying the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, wherein the at least one sensor opening is located on a side wall of the penetration sensor device near the tip of the penetration sensor device, whereby the system differentiates a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A system comprising:
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a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising an emitter sensor opening and detector sensor opening; a signal emitter component, comprising a light emitting diode, wherein the signal emitter component transmits a first light signal through the emitter sensor opening in a direction ahead of the tip into a tissue; a signal detector component, comprising a photodiode, wherein the signal detector component receives a second light signal reflected from the tissue ahead of the tip through a detector sensor opening of the penetration sensor device; and an analysis component, comprising a processor, wherein the analysis component determines an indication of presence of a blood vessel ahead of the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifies the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, thereby differentiating a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A system comprising:
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a penetration sensor device comprising a tip and a sensor probe, wherein the sensor probe comprises a sensor unit comprising an emitter sensor opening and detector sensor opening; a signal emitter circuit, wherein the signal emitter circuit transmits a first light signal through the emitter sensor opening in a direction ahead of the tip into a tissue; a signal detector circuit, wherein the signal detector circuit receives a second light signal reflected from the tissue ahead of the tip through a detector sensor opening of the penetration sensor device; and an analysis circuit, wherein the analysis circuit determines an indication of presence of a blood vessel ahead of the tip of the penetration sensor device based on information from the first light signal and the second light signal, and identifies the tissue as a blood vessel if the indication for presence of a blood vessel is greater than a threshold, thereby differentiating a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body cavity during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification