Ultrasound guidance system

• US 20070073155A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultrasound Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Ultrasound Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Peters, Bryan, Mosler, Theodore, Park, Robert, Jarnagin, Scott, Nuschke, Paul, Korogi, Todd, Kelemen, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/461
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes

Abstract

A compact ultrasound needle guidance system and method of use is described. The needle guidance system has components to adjustably target a needle'"'"'s destination in the plane of a two-dimensional ultrasound image before insertion of a needle into a patient. Needle movement is tracked using a position detector that provides a visual display of the needle path on the ultrasonic image.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

a transducer adapted for generating ultrasonic images of a scanning plane; and

a needle guide coupled to the transducer and rotatable within a plane that is perpendicular to a body surface to be penetrated by a needle received in the needle guide, wherein the plane is not parallel to the scanning plane.

2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the needle guide is rotatable about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the scanning plane.

3. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe is a hand-held probe.

4. The probe of claim 1, including an angular position detector for detecting angular displacements of the needle guide about the axis.

5. The probe of claim 4, wherein the angular position detector includes one of a potentiometer and a position encoder.

6. The probe of claim 4, wherein the transducer comprises the angular position detector.

7. The probe of claim 6, wherein the needle guide is connected to a shaft, the angular position detector is coupled to the shaft and the angular position detector detects angular displacements of the shaft.

8. The probe of claim 4, wherein the angular position detector detects angular positions of the needle relative to the scanning plane.

9. An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

a transducer adapted for generating ultrasonic images of a scanning plane;

a member mounted to the transducer and configured to rotate about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the scanning plane;

a position detector coupled to the member; and

an arm configured to receive a needle holder, connected to the member and extending outwardly from the transducer so that a needle to be received in the needle holder can be rotated about the member axis.

10. The probe of claim 9, wherein the needle guide is configured so that a needle inserted into the needle guide pivots within a plane that is perpendicular to a body surface to be penetrated by the needle and the scanning plane.

11. The probe of claim 9, wherein the probe is a hand-held probe.

12. The probe of claim 9, wherein the transducer is contained within a sterile shell.

13. The probe of claim 9, wherein the transverse plane is normal to the scanning plane.

14. The probe of claim 9, wherein the arm rotates in only one transverse plane.

15. An apparatus for tracking a position of a needle relative to an ultrasonic image, comprising;

a hand-held ultrasonic probe having a scanning plane;

a needle guidance portion including a needle holder coupled to the probe for rotation about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the scanning plane, the needle holder defining a needle path originating at the needle holder and extending through the scanning plane; and

a circuit for determining an intersection of the needle path and the scanning plane using needle path data generated by the needle guidance portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circuit locates an intersection of the needle path and the scanning plane in response to incremental movement of the needle holder.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the circuit calculates a distance from the probe to the intersection of the needle path and the scanning plane using the needle path data and distance between the needle holder and scanning plane.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the intersection of the needle path and scanning plane is computed from the angle through which the needle holder rotates and the position of the needle holder relative to the transducer.

19. A display in combination with the apparatus of claim 15, the display including an ultrasonic image generated from the ultrasonic probe, and a visual indicia of the needle path generated from the needle path data.

20. A method for positioning a needle for treatment of a target body within a patient using a hand-held ultrasonic probe having a scanning plane, comprising the steps of:

mounting a needle on the probe, the needle having an angular position relative to the scanning plane;

placing the hand-held probe on the patient;

displaying a two-dimensional image of the scanning plane including the target body, the image including a visual indicia of an anticipated needle position relative to the target body;

rotating the needle about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the scanning plane while monitoring the corresponding movement of the visual indicia; and

when the indicia is aligned with the target body, placing the needle at the target body.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the placing the probe step is performed using a first hand and the rotating the needle step is performed using a second hand.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the visual indicia towards the target by rotating the needle.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the placing the needle step is performed after the visual indicia is coincident with the target on the display.

24. The method of claim 20, further including obtaining depth insertion information for determining the insertion depth of the needle into the patient, and inserting the needle to a depth according to the depth insertion information.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the placing the needle step includes inserting the needle into the patient in a direction transverse to the scanning plane.

26. A method of tracking a position of a needle relative to a target body, comprising the steps of:

providing a hand-held ultrasonic probe having a scanning plane;

mounting a needle on a needle guide of the probe, the needle having a needle path extending from the needle to the scanning plane;

rotating the needle guide in a plane transverse to the scanning plane; and

determining an intersection of the needle path and the scanning plane in response to rotation of the needle guide.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining an intersection of the needle path step includes generating needle position data as a function of needle rotation.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the generating needle position data includes generating needle position data for a continuum of angles through which the needle guide rotates.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein a shaft of the needle is positioned for being displaced along the needle path so that the shaft intersects the scanning plane.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of displaying on a display an ultrasonic image and a visual indicia representing the intersection of the needle path and the scanning plane.

31. A system for locating a needle insertion point, comprising;

an ultrasonic probe having a scanning plane;

a display showing an ultrasonic image of the scanning plane generated by the probe;

a needle guide coupled to the probe for rotational motion relative to the probe and about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the scanning plane;

a position detector coupled to the needle guide;

a circuit generating data from the position detector; and

the display further including a visual indication of an anticipated needle position based on the circuit data and displayed with the ultrasonic images.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the probe is a hand-held probe.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the needle guide is configured for receiving a shaft of a needle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the position data is generated in real-time so that rotational movement of the needle guide is displayed as a moving visual indication of the needle position on the display.

35. An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

a needle clip coupled to a transducer, the needle clip comprising;

a cradle for a needle, and

an arm having an end that forms a cover;

wherein the cover is manually movable between a first position opening the cradle and a second position closing the cradle;

wherein the cover is detached from the cradle in the second position and configured such that the cover is retainable in the second position only when external pressure is applied to the needle clip; and

wherein when the cover is in the second position, the cover and cradle together form a passageway for a needle shaft disposable between the cover and cradle such that the passageway allows movement of the needle in a first direction and substantially prohibits movement of the needle in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

36. The probe of claim 35, wherein the cover is devoid of a mechanical engagement with the cradle when in both the first and second positions so that the cover is retainable in the first position or the second position only upon application of an external pressure to the needle clip.

37. The probe of claim 36, wherein the first end resists movement of the cover between the first position and the second position.

38. The probe of claim 35, wherein when the arm is in the second position, the needle is substantially prohibited from movement in the first direction by an interference fit between the cover and cradle.

39. The probe of claim 35, wherein the probe is a hand-held probe.

40. The probe of claim 35, wherein when the cover is in the first position the first end is undeformed and when the cover is in the second position, the first end is deformed by pressure applied to the arm, and

wherein when the pressure on the arm is relieved, the cover returns to the first position by only the elastic energy stored in the first end.

41. The probe of claim 40, wherein the first end is one of a substantially L-shaped and straight member.

42. A method of releasably fastening a needle to an ultrasonic probe, comprising the steps of:

providing a needle clip on the probe, the needle clip including a displaceable cover and a cradle adapted to receive a needle shaft;

placing the needle shaft within the cradle;

applying pressure to the cover such that the cover moves from a first position distal of the cradle to a second position proximal to the cradle, whereupon the needle is held between the cradle and cover; and

relieving the pressure on the cover, whereupon the cover moves from the second position to the first position.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the applying pressure step includes deforming a member connected to the cover at a first end thereof and the releasing the pressure step includes restoring the member to its un-deformed state such that the cover is returned to the first position by only the elastic energy stored in the deformed member.

44. A sterile shell for an ultrasonic probe, comprising:

a first shell portion;

a second shell portion;

a third shell portion defining a chamber for receiving an end of the ultrasonic probe;

a first living hinge connecting the first and third shell portions; and

a second living hinge connecting the second and third shell portions.

45. The sterile shell of claim 44, further including an acoustic coupling gel sealed within the chamber.

46. The sterile shell of claim 44, further including a window for allowing passage of a clip connector of a probe received within the shell.

47. The sterile shell of claim 44, wherein each of the first, second and third portions are formed so as to be substantially rigid.

48. A method of encasing an ultrasonic probe in a sterile shell, comprising the steps of:

providing a sterile shell, including a first, second and third shell portion, a first living hinge connecting the first and third shell portions, a second living hinge connecting the second and third shell portions, and the third shell portion having a chamber containing a gel;

removing a cover from the third shell portion;

placing a waveguide of the probe inside the third shell portion; and

placing the second and first shell portions over the probe, thereby enclosing the probe within the shell.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the providing step includes providing a rigid shell.