System and method for catheter steering and operation

• US 10,413,317 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Whiseant, Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Giuliani, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US14/135,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 606 41, 606 7, 606 42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3207 Atherectomy devices working by cutting or abrading; Similar devices specially adapted for non-vascular obstructions A61B17/32037 takes precedence; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3735 Optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance

Abstract

Intravascular intervention catheters and catheters for performing an intravascular procedure that use a computer to control an operation at the end of the catheters are provided. The computer can process image data to determine where the important features are within a patient'"'"'s vessels. The catheter can include imaging devices, steering devices, ablation mechanisms, or a combination thereof. By referencing the precisely-calculated location of the important features, the computer can provide signals that can be used by a control device (such as a set of servomotors for navigation) to operate the mechanisms at the catheter tip. Thus the catheter can be steered or an ablation mechanism can be operated or be prevented from operating depending on a detected location of the catheter.

Claims

1. A system for performing an intravascular procedure, the system comprising:

a catheter configured for insertion into a blood vessel;

an imaging device at a distal portion of the catheter and configured to capture an image of the blood vessel, the imaging device comprising an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer;

a computer system coupled to the imaging device and having instructions to;

receive navigation information to guide the IVUS transducer to a target site within the blood vessel;

employ a feature detection program to automatically identify a blood vessel wall border of the blood vessel and an occlusion at the target site using data from the IVUS transducer, wherein the feature detection program comprises identifying a control point, defining an area around the control point, and moving the area to identify the blood vessel wall border and the occlusion;

define a zone extending from the blood vessel wall border; and

provide an operation signal to perform an operation when the catheter is outside the zone and a non-operation signal when the catheter is within the zone; and

a control device configured to receive the operation signal and cause the catheter to perform the operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises moving away from the blood vessel wall border.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises steering the catheter into a branch of a bifurcated vessel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises introducing a curve into the catheter based on a file stored in memory in the computer system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises ablation of plaque.

6. The system of claim 1, further configured to guide the catheter outside the zone.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an ablation mechanism.

8. The system of claim 7, further configured to prevent an ablation operation when the catheter is within the zone.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the ablation mechanism comprises a transmitter for electromagnetic waves.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises an alternation between image capture and treatment delivery.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature detection program automatically identifies the blood vessel wall border by a change in pixel color.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to move the catheter outside the dead zone when the computer system provides a non-operation signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the area is one of a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse or polygon.

14. A system for performing an intravascular procedure, the system comprising:

a catheter configured for insertion into a blood vessel;

an imaging device at a distal portion of the catheter and configured to capture an image of the blood vessel, the imaging device comprising an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer;

a computer system coupled to the imaging device, wherein the computer system comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

a border-detection application for identifying a blood vessel wall border of the blood vessel using data received from the IVUS transducer, wherein the border-detection application comprises identifying a first control point from a first image and identifying a second control point from a second image;

an extrapolation application for identifying a third control point;

an identification application for identifying the blood vessel wall border based on the first control point, the second control point and the third control point;

a safety application for defining a zone extending from the blood vessel wall border; and

a signal generation application for generating a signal to guide the catheter to perform an operation based on identification of the blood vessel wall border and whether the catheter is outside the zone; and

a control device configured to receive the signal and cause the catheter to perform the operation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the extrapolation application creates a third image.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises an active-contour application for adjusting the blood vessel wall border on the third image.