Image guided catheter having remotely controlled surfaces-mounted and internal ultrasound transducers

• US 20090105597A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perceptive Navigation LLC
• Original Assignee: Innoscion, LLC
• Inventors: Abraham, Theodore P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/466
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4236 characterised by adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/582 Remote testing of the device

Abstract

A remotely manipulatable ultrasound transducer element or transducer array permits an operator of an ultrasound system to be remotely located from a patient and yet remotely control the location of the element or array on a patient'"'"'s body such as on the skin surface or within a body cavity. The transducer element or transducer array associated with motors and control circuits comprises an assembly within a housing for fixation to or within a human body. The transducer assembly may be fixed to a ring surrounding an image guided catheter and may rotate about the image guided catheter or move along its length to an anchoring position proximate the surface skin. Two embodiment systems for pericardial access may comprise surface and internal vision or ultrasound guidance systems that are wireless or wired one operating on suction and another on mechanical grasping of the pericardial lining.

Claims

1. A system for use in a minimally invasive medical procedure comprising

a manipulatable ultrasound transducer assembly for communicating with a workstation including a display wherein said assembly comprises at least one transducer element for collecting ultrasound images;

a motor for rotating said transducer element in a plane parallel to an animal body part to be imaged when said transducer is for fixing to an external animal body surface,

a housing for said transducer element and said motor, said housing having a relatively smooth surface for fixation to said external animal body surface and

an image guided catheter for internal body imaging coupled to said manipulatable ultrasound transducer assembly, the image guided catheter for communicating with a work station including a display.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 further characterized by said manipulatable ultrasound transducer assembly comprising a second motor for twisting said transducer array from a default position, said transducer array directing sound waves into an animal body from the surface to which it is fixed, to another angular position, said transducer array for directing sound waves from said body surface according to one of an input incremental and final angle of direction of twist.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 further characterized by said image guided catheter comprising a sleeve surrounding said image guided catheter for coupling said manipulatable ultrasound transducer.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 further characterized by said motor for rotating said manipulatable transducer array being capable of rotating said array from a default position, said transducer array directing sound waves from the animal body surface to which it is fixed into an animal body, to another rotational angular position, said transducer array for directing sound waves from said body surface according to one of an input incremental and final angle of rotation.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 further characterized by an x axis motor and a y axis motor for moving said manipulatable transducer array in two directions within a two-dimensional footprint of the housing on the animal body surface.

6. The system as recited in claim 2 further characterized in that said image guided catheter is adapted for insertion in a human body cavity, said assembly comprising a longitudinal axis and a longitudinal axis motor for moving said manipulatable transducer array along said longitudinal axis according to one of an incremental distance from a default position and a desired final position.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said motor for rotating is further characterized by an angle of rotation up to 180 degrees for collecting image data of a plurality of image planes.

8. The system as recited in one of claim 1 for cooperating with a second such manipulatable assembly fixed to a second position about said image guided catheter further characterized by a capability of the cooperation providing three-dimensional, stereoscopic imaging of a region of interest of said animal body.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a motor is further characterized by an associated gear assembly for accurate movement of one of a manipulatable transducer element and an array of transducer elements in relation to said image-guided catheter.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 further characterized by:

a transceiver for communicating with a remote workstation;

a controller for receiving motor control data from said transceiver and controlling said motor responsive to receipt of said motor control data to relocate one of a remotely manipulatable transducer element and a transducer array; and

a battery power supply for powering elements of the remotely manipulatable transducer assembly requiring power.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 further characterized by:

a controller for controlling said motor according to wireless control input;

a battery power supply for powering elements of the transducer assembly requiring power and;

a memory for temporary storage of image data from one of a transducer element and a transducer array.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, further characterized by:

an antenna, coupled to said transceiver, for receiving wireless radio signals from said remote workstation and for transmitting wireless radio signals to said remote workstation.

13. The system as recited in claim 10 further characterized in that

said transceiver reports actual position data of one of said manipulatable transducer array to and of said image guided catheter to a workstation.

14. The system as recited in claim 10 further characterized in that

said output of said manipulatable transducer array is compressed at a data compressor prior to one of transmission via said transceiver and of storage in memory.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said manipulatable transducer and said image guided catheter is further characterized by:

a unique identification code for uniquely identifying said one of a transducer and of a catheter to a workstation.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 characterized by first and second transducers outputting image data to a plurality of display screens.

17. The system of claim 1 characterized by cooperation between an imaging catheter and a workstation, the imaging catheter having one of a suction channel and a biopsy forceps channel.

18. The system as recited in one of claim 2 wherein said housing is further characterized by:

a rod assembly in the form of a rectangle comprising two pairs of parallel rods,

each parallel pair of rods conducting a further perpendicular rod member in one of two directions, the transducer assembly for connection to the juncture of two perpendicular rod members, the two perpendicular rod members for movement as determined by the x axis and y axis motors.

23. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the image guided catheter has a cross-section in the μ

m range and a pliable portion at the distal tip, a withdrawable needle and a lumen for introducing a biased guide wire for bending the distal tip.

19. A pericardial access system comprising

an outer sheath having a plurality of lumen or channels comprising an imaging channel, a needle channel and a further channel,

the needle channel comprises an insertable needle, the needle, upon insertion, extendable beyond the distal end of the needle channel,

the further channel comprises a polished surface and is for receiving one of suction created by a syringe and a forceps, one of the suction and the forceps for grasping a pericardial lining, and

the imaging channel is for providing image guided entry of the outer sheath including the needle and needle channel into a body to a target location.

20. The pericardial access system of claim 19 wherein the further channel comprises a suction channel for creating a vacuum between a pericardial lining and the suction channel and a lock for maintaining the vacuum at a constant sufficient for holding and pulling the pericardial lining.

21. The pericardial access system of claim 19 wherein the further channel comprises a channel for receiving a grasping forceps for grasping the pericardial lining and a lock for the grasping forceps for maintaining a grasp on the pericardial lining at sufficient strength for holding and pulling the pericardial lining.

22. The pericardial access system of claim 19 wherein the insertable needle includes an internal channel for receiving an image-guided catheter for providing further imaging beyond a distal end of the outer sheath of a target location.