ROBOTIC INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING OPTICAL FIBER SENSOR

• US 20090137952A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Tanner, Neal A., Ramamurthy, Bhaskar S., Younge, Robert G., Schlesinger, Randall L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,186,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00004 characterised by electronic signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00013 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0017 Details of single optical fibres, e.g. material or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• 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 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 : Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 : using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 : Body surface scanning
• 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 5/065 : Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 : Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4887 : Locating particular structures in or on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 : Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/48 : Diagnostic techniques A61B8/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 : using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 : Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/16 : for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. optical strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/165 : by means of a grating deformed by the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 : the material being an optical fibre

Abstract

Robotic medical instrument systems and associated methods utilizing an optical fiber sensors such as Bragg sensor optical fibers. In one configuration, an optical fiber is coupled to an elongate instrument body and includes a fiber core having one or more Bragg gratings. A controller is configured to initiate various actions in response thereto. For example, a controller may generate and display a graphical representation of the instrument body and depict one or more position and/or orientation variables thereof, or adjust motors of an instrument driver to reposition the catheter or another instrument. Optical fibers having Bragg gratings may also be utilized with other system components including a plurality of working instruments that are positioned within a sheath lumen, an instrument driver, localization sensors, and/or an image capture device, and may also be coupled to a patient'"'"'s body or associated structure that stabilizes the body.

Claims

1. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body;

an optical fiber coupled to the instrument body and comprising a fiber core having one or more Bragg gratings; and

a controller configured to generate and display a graphical representation of the instrument body by depicting one or more position and/or orientation variables thereof based upon reflected light signals received from the one or more Bragg gratings.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more position and/or orientation variables include a spatial position of the instrument body.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more position and/or orientation variables include a roll angle of the instrument body.

4. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate sheath having a lumen;

a plurality of working instruments positioned in the sheath lumen, each working instrument comprising an elongate instrument body having a distal end portion that may be extended out of a distal end opening of the sheath in communication with the lumen, each instrument body distal end portion being coupled to an optical fiber having one or more Bragg gratings; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of the distal end portions of the respective instrument bodies based upon reflected light signals received from the one or more Bragg gratings.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a reference sensor coupled to the sheath proximate the distal end opening, wherein the one or more position and/or orientation variables of the distal end portions of the respective instrument bodies are determined relative to the reference sensor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to generate and display a graphical representation of the respective instrument bodies relative to the distal end opening of the sheath.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the reference sensor comprises an optical fiber having a fiber core with one or more Bragg gratings.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position and/or orientation of the distal end of the sheath in a reference coordinate system based on signals received from the reference sensor.

9. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an instrument driver;

an elongate instrument having a proximal portion configured to be operatively coupled to the instrument driver and a distal end portion configured for insertion into a body;

a plurality of Bragg sensor optical fibers, including a first Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument driver, a second Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument, and a third Bragg sensor optical fiber configured to be coupled to a patient'"'"'s body and/or a structure used to stabilize a patient'"'"'s body; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of the respective instrument driver, instrument and patient'"'"'s body based on detected reflected light signals received from the respective Bragg gratings on the first, second and third optical fibers.

10. A medical system, comprising:

one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers configured to be coupled to a patient'"'"'s body and/or a structure used to stabilize the patient'"'"'s body; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of the patient'"'"'s body based on signals received from respective Bragg gratings on the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to generate an output for a system operator upon detection of an unexpected patient movement based on signals received from the respective Bragg gratings.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller causes a displayed image of the patient'"'"'s body to move in response to detected movement of the patient'"'"'s body based on signals received from the respective Bragg gratings.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers is coupled to a patient patch having an adhesive surface for attachment to the patient'"'"'s body.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a radio-opaque marker coupled to the one of the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to determine a location of the radio-opaque marker in a coordinate system of a fluoroscopic imaging system, determine a location of the radio-opaque marker in a coordinate system of the respective Bragg sensor optical fibers, and register the respective coordinate systems with each other based in part upon the respective location of the marker.

16. A medical system, comprising:

one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers configured to be coupled to a patient'"'"'s chest; and

a controller configured to determine patient respiration based on signals received from respective Bragg gratings on the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to coordinate a diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedure on the patient based on the determined patient respiration.

18. A medical system, comprising:

an image capture device;

one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers coupled to the image capture device; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of the image capture device based on signals received from respective Bragg gratings one the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the image capture device is a fluoroscope, an optical camera, an infrared camera, an ultrasound imager, a magnetic resonance imager, or a computer tomography imager.

20. A medical system, comprising:

a plurality of elongate instruments, each elongate instrument comprising an elongate instrument body having a Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled thereto; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of each instrument based on signals received from the respective Bragg sensor optical fibers, and register the respective position and/or orientation variables of the instruments in a single reference coordinate system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instrument bodies are coupled to a same or different structure in a known spatial relationship.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the instrument bodies are coupled to a same or different structure in an unknown spatial relationship, and registration of the instrument position and/or orientation variables of respective instruments in a single reference coordinate system is accomplished by maintaining a fixed distance between respective locations on the instrument bodies.

23. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body;

one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers coupled to the instrument body;

one or more localization sensors coupled to the instrument body; and

a controller configured to determine one or more position and/or orientation variables of the instrument body in a reference coordinate system based upon signals received from respective Bragg gratings on the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers, and from signals received from the one or more localization sensors.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more localization sensors include an electromagnetic sensor, a potential difference sensor, or an ultrasound sensor.

25. A method of calibrating one or more Bragg gratings on an optical fiber sensor coupled an elongate instrument body, comprising:

positioning the instrument body in a known geometric configuration;

determining a sensed geometric configuration based on signals received from the one or more Bragg gratings while the instrument body is in the known geometric configuration; and

comparing the sensed geometric configuration with the known geometric configuration.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising storing data representative of the comparison on a storage medium associated with instrument.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the storage medium is a programmable device, a bar code, a radio frequency identification device, a memory dongle, a software program of a system component associated with the elongate instrument, or an external server.

28. A method of performing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure using an instrument calibrated according to claim 26, the method comprising:

maneuvering the instrument within a patient'"'"'s body,

determining one or more sensed position and/or orientation variables of the instrument based on signals received from the one or more Bragg gratings while the instrument is in the patient'"'"'s body, and

adjusting the sensed position and/or orientation variables based on the stored comparison data.

29. A system for calibrating one or more Bragg gratings on an optical fiber sensor coupled an elongate instrument body, comprising:

a calibration fixture configured to position the instrument body in a known geometric configuration; and

a controller configured to (i) determine a sensed geometric configuration based on signals received from the one or more Bragg gratings while the instrument body positioned in the calibration fixture is in the known geometric configuration, and (ii) compare the sensed geometric configuration with the known geometric configuration.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the calibration fixture comprises a rigid base structure having an arcuate groove formed in a surface thereof.

31. A method for performing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure on a patient using an elongate instrument having one or more Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled thereto, comprising:

positioning the instrument body in a known configuration; and

storing on a storage medium associated with the instrument signals received from the one or more Bragg sensor optical fibers while the instrument body is in the fixed base configuration.

32. A method of generating a structural map of an internal body tissue surface, comprising:

(a) maneuvering a distal end portion of an elongate flexible instrument within an anatomical workspace in a body;

(b) detecting when a distal end of the instrument is contacting a tissue surface in the workspace;

(c) determining a geometric configuration of the instrument distal end portion when the distal end of the instrument is contacting the tissue surface;

(d) generating position data indicative of a position of the instrument distal end based upon the determined geometric configuration of the instrument distal end portion when the distal end of the instrument is contacting the tissue surface;

(e) repeating steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) in order to generate sufficient position data to generate a structural map of the tissue surface.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the geometric configuration of the instrument distal end portion is determined using a Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument distal end portion.

34. The method of claim 32 or claim 33, further comprising, for each step (b) sensing a characteristic of the tissue being contacted by the instrument distal end surface, and correlating the sensed tissue characteristics with the position data.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the tissue characteristic is tissue compliance.

36. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument;

a Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument and comprising at least one optical fiber core having a distribution of axially-spaced Bragg gratings; and

a controller operatively coupled to the Bragg sensor optical fiber and configured to sample the respective Bragg gratings, wherein selected ones of the gratings are sampled more frequently than the other gratings.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the Bragg gratings selected for more frequent sampling are located on a portion of the Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to a distal end portion of the instrument.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the controller is configured to actively change which Bragg gratings are selected for more frequent sampling based upon movement of the instrument.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the controller is configured to identify a most proximal Bragg grating selected for more frequent sampling based on a detected increase in signal amplitude from the respective grating as compared to even more proximal gratings.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the distribution of axially-spaced Bragg gratings comprises continuous or substantially continuous Bragg gratings written on the at least one fiber core.

41. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument;

a first Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument and comprising a first fiber core having a first distribution of axially-spaced Bragg gratings;

a second Bragg sensor optical fiber coupled to the instrument in a known geometric relationship to the first fiber grating sensor and comprising a second fiber core having a second distribution of axially-spaced Bragg gratings; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first and second Bragg sensor optical fibers and configured to sample respective sensor gratings on the first and second fiber cores, and to conduct common mode error analysis by comparing signals received from respective corresponding gratings thereon.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein one or both of the respective first and second distributions of axially-spaced Bragg gratings comprise continuous or substantially continuous Bragg gratings written on the respective first and/or second fiber core.

43. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument; and

a Bragg sensor optical fiber comprising an elongate optical fiber coupled to the instrument, wherein a portion of the optical fiber is coupled to the instrument in a manner to provide slack in the fiber to allow for axial extension of the elongate instrument relative to the optical fiber.

44. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument comprising a substantially rigid proximal portion, and a flexible distal portion; and

a Bragg sensor optical fiber comprising an optical fiber coupled to the instrument, wherein a portion of the optical fiber is coupled at a known reference location on the proximal potion of the instrument.

45. A robotic medical instrument system, comprising:

a controller configured to control actuation of at least one servo motor;

an elongate instrument configured to move in response to actuation of the at least one servo motor;

an optical fiber having a distal portion coupled to a distal portion of the instrument, the distal portion of the optical fiber comprising a fiber core having plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings; and

a detector operatively coupled to a proximal end of the optical fiber and configured to detect respective light signals reflected by the axially-spaced Bragg gratings,

wherein the controller controls movement of the instrument based at least in part upon a geometric configuration of the distal portion of the instrument determined based upon an analysis of the detected reflected portions of the light signals.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings comprises continuous or substantially continuous Bragg gratings written on the at least one fiber core.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the analysis of the detected reflected portions of the light signals is a spectral analysis.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the controller determines one or more position and/or orientation variables of the distal portion of the instrument based upon the analysis.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the controller controls positioning of the instrument based in further part upon a kinematic model of the guide instrument, wherein the kinematic model takes into account mechanics of material relationships of the instrument.

50. A robotic instrument system, comprising:

a controller configured to control actuation of at least one servo motor;

an elongate instrument having one or more control elements operatively coupled to the at least one servo motor such that the instrument moves in response to actuation of the at least one servo motor;

an optical fiber having a distal portion coupled to a distal portion of the instrument, the distal portion of the optical fiber comprising a fiber core having plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings; and

a detector operatively coupled to a proximal end of the optical fiber and configured to detect respective light signals reflected by the axially-spaced Bragg gratings,

wherein the controller controls movement of the instrument based at least in part on spatial position data of the distal portion of the instrument determined based upon an analysis of the detected reflected portions of the light signals.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings comprises continuous or substantially continuous Bragg gratings written on the at least one fiber core.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the analysis of the detected reflected portions of the light signals is a spectral analysis.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the controller determines one or more position and/or orientation variables of the distal portion of the instrument based upon the analysis.

54. A robotic instrument system, comprising:

a controller configured to control actuation of at least one servo motor;

an elongate instrument having one or more control elements operatively coupled to the at least one servo motor such that the instrument moves in response to actuation of the at least one servo motor; and

an optical fiber sensor system configured to supply localization data indicative of a spatial position of at least a portion of the instrument,

wherein the controller controls actuation of the at least one servo motor, thereby controlling movement of the instrument, based at least in part upon a comparison of an actual position the instrument derived from the localization data to a projected position of the instrument derived from a kinematic model of the instrument.

55. A robotic instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body;

an optical fiber coupled to the instrument body and comprising a fiber core having a plurality of Bragg gratings; and

a controller configured to execute software instructions to select one of the Bragg gratings as a reference grating.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the controller is configured to ignore at least one Bragg grating, and wherein the grating selected as the reference grating is positioned adjacent to an end of the elongate instrument body.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein the plurality of Bragg gratings are continuous, overlapping or partially overlapping Bragg gratings.

59. A robotic instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body;

an optical fiber coupled to the instrument body and comprising a fiber core having a plurality of Bragg gratings; and

a controller configured to execute software instructions to select one or more Bragg gratings as a measurement grating.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the controller is configured to execute software instructions to select a length of a measurement grating.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the controller is configured to execute software instructions to select a portion of a measurement grating.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the controller is configured to execute software instructions to select a reference grating.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein the plurality of Bragg gratings are continuous, overlapping or partially overlapping Bragg gratings.

64. A method of selecting a reference along an optical fiber coupled to an elongate instrument body of a surgical system, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of Bragg gratings on a core of the optical fiber coupled to the elongate instrument body; and

selecting one of the Bragg gratings as a reference grating based on execution of software instructions by a controller of the surgical system.

65. A method of selecting a measurement grating along an optical fiber coupled to an elongate instrument body of a surgical system, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of Bragg gratings on a core of the optical fiber coupled to the elongate instrument body; and

selecting one or more of the Bragg gratings as a measurement grating based on execution of software instructions by a controller of the surgical system.

66. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body configured for insertion into a patient;

a first optical fiber coupled to the instrument body and configured for insertion into the patient, the first optical fiber comprising a first fiber core having a first plurality of Bragg gratings; and

a second optical fiber configured for use outside of the patient, the second optical fiber comprising a second fiber core having a second plurality of Bragg gratings, wherein the second optical fiber is larger than the first optical fiber.

67. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body;

an optical fiber coupled to the instrument body and comprising a fiber core having a plurality of Bragg gratings, wherein a first set of Bragg gratings has a different reflectivity than a second set of Bragg gratings.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein a single fiber includes Bragg gratings of different reflectivities.

69. A system of claim 68, further comprising:

an optical frequency domain reflectometry processor operably coupled to the fiber; and

a wavelength division multiplexing processor operably coupled to the fiber, wherein the optical frequency domain reflectometry processor and the wavelength division multiplexing processor are configured to process light reflected by the Bragg gratings having different reflectivities.

70. A medical instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body; and

an optical fiber having at least one Bragg grating and being coupled to the elongate instrument body, wherein at least one of the optical fiber and the elongate instrument body has a structural attribute that prevents twisting of the fiber relative to the elongate instrument body.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the structural attribute comprises an oval structure or a flat or beveled edge.

72. The system of claim 70, wherein the structural attributes include a groove and structure that matingly engages with the groove.

73. The system of claim 70, wherein the elongate instrument body is a catheter.