Data transmission to a position sensor

• US 20070032960A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Govari, Assaf, Ephrath, Yaron, Altmann, Andres
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• 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 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A method for transmitting control instructions to a sensor in a position tracking system includes generating a drive signal for driving a field generator. A control signal including the control instructions is superimposed on the drive signal. The field generator is driven with the drive signal, so as to generate a field to be sensed by the sensor. The field is detected at the sensor in order to determine position coordinates of the sensor and to demodulate the control signal so as to extract the control instructions. A functionality of the sensor is controlled based on the extracted control instructions.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting control instructions to a sensor in a position tracking system, comprising:

generating a drive signal for driving a field generator;

superimposing a control signal comprising the control instructions on the drive signal;

driving the field generator with the drive signal, so as to generate a field to be sensed by the sensor;

at the sensor, detecting the field in order to determine position coordinates of the sensor and to demodulate the control signal so as to extract the control instructions; and

controlling a functionality of the sensor based on the extracted control instructions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal has a drive frequency, and wherein superimposing the control signal comprises modulating the control instructions on a control sub-carrier having a control frequency, which is different from the drive frequency, so as to enable separation of the control signal from the drive signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein detecting the field comprises producing a received signal responsive to the detected field, and extracting the control signal from the received signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein extracting the control signal comprises digitizing the received signal to produce a digitized signal, applying a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) process to the digitized signal, and detecting energy in an FFT bin that corresponds to the control frequency.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein modulating the control instructions comprises switching the control sub-carrier on and off responsively to a binary representation of the control instructions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein superimposing the control signal comprises addressing a first control instruction to a first sensor and addressing a second control instruction, different from the first control instruction, to a second sensor.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting the field comprises detecting a first field component based on the control signal and a second field component associated with the position coordinates using a single coil in the sensor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the functionality of the sensor comprises at least one of controlling a timing of the sensor, calibrating the sensor and compensating for distortions in the detected field.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the field comprises a magnetic field.

10. A method for transmitting data from a tracked object in a position tracking system, comprising:

generating a drive signal for driving a field generator in the tracked object;

superimposing a data-carrying signal comprising the data on the drive signal;

driving the field generator with the drive signal, so as to generate a field to be sensed by one or more external receivers; and

at the one or more external receivers, detecting the field in order to determine position coordinates of the tracked object and to demodulate the data-carrying signal so as to extract the data.

11. Apparatus for transmitting control instructions to a sensor in a position tracking system, comprising:

a field generator, which is coupled to generate a field to be sensed by the sensor;

a signal generator unit, which is coupled to generate a drive signal for driving the field generator, while superimposing a control signal comprising the control instructions on the drive signal;

a sensor unit comprising a position sensor, which is coupled to detect the field, and a sensor control unit, which is coupled to generate position signals responsively to the detected field, to demodulate the control signal so as to extract the control instructions and to control a functionality of the sensor based on the extracted control instructions; and

a processor, which is coupled to calculate position coordinates of the sensor responsively to the position signals.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the signal generator unit is coupled to generate the drive signal at a drive frequency and to modulate the control instructions on a control sub-carrier having a control frequency, which is different from the drive frequency, so as to enable separation of the control signal from the drive signal.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the position sensor is coupled to produce a received signal responsive to the detected field, and wherein the sensor control unit is coupled to extract the control signal from the received signal.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sensor control unit is coupled to digitize the received signal so as to produce a digitized signal, to apply a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) process to the digitized signal, and to detect energy in an FFT bin that corresponds to the control frequency, so as to extract the control signal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the signal generator unit is coupled to switch the control sub-carrier on and off responsively to a binary representation of the control instructions, so as to modulate the control signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is coupled to address a first control instruction to a first sensor and to address a second control instruction, different from the first control instruction, to a second sensor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the position sensor comprises a coil, which is coupled to receive both a first field component based on the control signal and a second field component associated with the position coordinates.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensor control unit is coupled to perform, responsively to the control instructions, at least one of controlling a timing of the sensor unit, calibrating the sensor unit and compensating for distortions in the detected field.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the field comprises a magnetic field.

20. Apparatus for transmitting data from a tracked object in a position tracking system, comprising:

a field generator coupled to the tracked object, which is arranged to generate a field to be sensed by an external system;

a signal generator unit associated with the field generator, which is coupled to generate a drive signal for driving the field generator, while superimposing a data-carrying signal comprising the data on the drive signal; and

one or more external receivers in the external system, which are coupled to detect the field in order to determine position coordinates of the tracked object and to demodulate the data-carrying signal so as to extract the data.