Scanning mechanisms for imaging probe

• US 20090264768A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Original Assignee: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Inventors: Foster, Francis Stuart, Soong, Alan, Li, Brian Heng, Munce, Nigel Robert, Yang, Victor Xiao Dong, Thind, Amandeep Singh, Courtney, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/463
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• 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 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• 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 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal

Abstract

The present invention provides scanning mechanisms for imaging probes using for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and/or optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes include adjustable rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to an imaging assembly containing either optical or ultrasound transducers which emit energy into the surrounding area. The imaging assembly includes a scanning mechanism having including a movable member configured to deliver the energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward and side viewing capability of the imaging assembly. The movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of the angular velocity of the imaging assembly.

Claims

1. An imaging probe for insertion into bodily lumens and cavities for imaging an interior of said bodily lumens and cavities or imaging exterior surfaces of a body, comprising:

a) a hollow shaft having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and a midsection, an imaging assembly being located in said elongate hollow shaft for emitting an energy beam and receiving reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities or exterior surfaces, said imaging assembly being connected at a first position along an imaging conduit, said imaging conduit extending through the hollow shaft and being connectable at a second position thereof to an image processing and display system through the proximal end section, said imaging conduit being configured to deliver energy to said imaging assembly;

b) said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly being connectable to a rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly about said longitudinal axis at an angular velocity, the rotational drive mechanism including adjustment means for varying said angular velocity; and

c) said imaging assembly including a scanning mechanism having a movable member movably mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and positioned to receive said energy beam from said imaging conduit and direct said energy beam out of said elongate hollow shaft at an imaging angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward or side viewing capability of said imaging assembly and to receive said received reflected energy signals back to said imaging conduit, said movable member being movably mounted in such a way that the imaging angle is variable and a function of said angular velocity, said scanning mechanism being configured to receive and deliver said reflected energy signals to said image processing system through said imaging conduit; and

d) said rotational drive means being connectable to a controller which is connected to said image processing and display system; and

e) an imaging angle encoder circuit coupled to said imaging assembly and the controller for detecting the variable angle of the movable member, said imaging angle encoder including an angle encoder interface associated with said movable member, and including optical delivery means for delivering light to said angle encoder interface, and receiving light reflected from said angle encoder interface and delivering said reflected light to a detector, and wherein an output of said detector is representative of the imaging angle or a change in the imaging angle based on the degree of deflection or tilt of the deflectable or movable component.

2. The imaging probe according to claim 1 including a rotary encoder mechanism coupled to said imaging assembly and said controller, and wherein said rotational motion of the imaging assembly is detected by said rotary encoder.

3. The imaging probe according to claim 1 wherein said imaging assembly includes one or both of an ultrasound transducer and optical fiber mounted on said movable member, said ultrasound transducer and optical fiber being connected to respectively to an ultrasound energy source and optical light source through said imaging conduit.

4. The imaging probe according to claim 1 wherein said movable member has a reflective surface, and wherein said imaging assembly includes one or both of an ultrasound transducer and optical fiber mounted in close proximity to said movable member, said ultrasound transducer and optical fiber being connected respectively to an ultrasound energy source and optical light source through said imaging conduit for receiving and reflecting one or both of ultrasound energy and optical energy into said bodily lumens and cavities and receiving said reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities or exterior surfaces.

5. The imaging probe according to claim 1 wherein the movable member is mounted for tiltable movement.

6. The imaging probe according to claim 5 wherein said movable member is pivotally mounted about said axis for pivotal movement.

7. The imaging probe according to claim 5 wherein said movable member is mounted such that it is moved by being deflected about said axis.

8. The imaging probe according to claim 1 wherein said movable member is a bendable component including a structural assembly that is constrained at one or more points along its length with respect to its radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the imaging assembly, but is not constrained over a substantial portion of its length, said imaging assembly being configured and positioned to deliver said energy beam to said bendable component, wherein in operation as said imaging assembly rotates, the bendable component will bend as a result of centripetal acceleration, with an amount of bending of the bendable component being determined by the angular velocity of the imaging assembly which in turn determines the angle that the energy beam is emitted from the imaging assembly relative to the longitudinal axis.

9. The imaging probe according to claim 1 wherein said optical delivery means for delivering light to said angle encoder interface is an optical fiber circuit optically coupled to a light source for delivering light from a light source to the encoder interface, and said optical fiber circuit being optically coupled to a detector for delivering light reflected from the encoder interface to said detector.

10. The imaging probe according to claim 9 wherein said optical fiber circuit includes a first optical fiber branch coupled at a first proximal end thereof to said light source, a second distal end of said first optical fiber branch being positioned adjacent to said encoder interface for directing light onto the encoder interface, said optical fiber circuit including a second optical fiber branch optically coupled at a first distal end to said detector, and a second distal end of said second optical fiber branch being positioned adjacent to said encoder interface for receiving light reflected from the encoder interface.

11. The imaging probe according to claim 9 wherein said optical fiber circuit includes a first optical fiber branch optically coupled at a first proximal end thereof to said light source, a second distal end of said first optical fiber branch being optically coupled to an optical coupling mechanism, said optical fiber circuit including a second optical fiber branch optically coupled at a first distal end to said detector, and a second distal end of said second optical fiber branch being optically coupled to said optical coupling mechanism, said optical fiber circuit including a third optical fiber branch optically coupled at a first distal end to said optical coupling mechanism, and a second distal end of said third optical fiber branch being positioned adjacent to said encoder interface for delivering the light from said light source to said encoder interface through said first and third optical fiber branches, and for receiving light reflected from the encoder interface and delivering said reflected light to said detector through said third and second optical fiber branches.

12. An imaging probe for insertion into bodily lumens and cavities for imaging an interior of said bodily lumens and cavities or imaging exterior surfaces of a body, comprising:

a) an outer elongate sheath and an imaging conduit located in said outer elongate sheath having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and a midsection, an imaging assembly being located in said distal end section of said imaging conduit for directing an energy beam out of said distal end section and receiving reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities or exterior surfaces, said imaging assembly being connected to a first end of said imaging conduit, said imaging conduit extending through the outer elongate sheath and being connectable at a second end thereof to an image processing and display system through the proximal end section;

b) said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly being connectable to a rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly, relative to said outer elongate sheath, about said longitudinal axis at an angular velocity, the rotational drive mechanism including adjustment means for varying said angular velocity; and

c) said outer elongate sheath having a distal end section and a proximal end section and a midsection aligned with said proximal end section, midsection and distal end section of said imaging conduit, and an energy emitting device affixed to said outer elongate sheath at said distal end section thereof for producing said energy beam;

d) said imaging assembly including a scanning mechanism including a movable reflective member configured to receive said energy beam from said energy emitting device and to deliver said energy beam along a path out of said imaging conduit at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward or side viewing capability of said imaging assembly, wherein said movable reflective member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of said angular velocity, said scanning mechanism being configured to receive and deliver said reflected energy signals to said image processing system through said imaging conduit; and

e) said rotational drive means being connectable to a controller which is connected to said image processing and display system.

13. The imaging probe according to claim 12 wherein said movable reflective member is pivotally mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis for pivotal movement.

14. The imaging probe according to claim 12 wherein said movable reflective member is mounted such that it is moved by being deflected about an axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

15. The imaging probe according to claim 12 wherein said energy emitting device is an ultrasound transducer, and including a coaxial electrical cable electrically connected at one end thereof to said ultrasound transducer and connectable at another end thereof to a power supply and ultrasound signal processing circuit forming part of said image processing system.

16. The imaging probe according to claim 12 wherein the energy beam is a an optical light beam and said energy emitting device includes a fiber optic having a distal end mounted in said distal end of said outer elongate sheath, said distal end of said optical fiber including an optical imaging emitter/receiver, the fiber optic extending along said outer elongate sheath and having a proximal end optically coupled to a light source.

17. The imaging probe according to claim 12 including additional energy emitting devices positioned around a periphery of the distal end section of the elongate hollow shaft for directing multiple energy beams toward said imaging assembly.

18. The imaging probe according to claim 17 wherein said energy emitting device and said additional energy emitting devices are ultrasound transducers and/or optical imaging emitters/receivers connected to associated optical fibers.

32. The imaging probe according to claim 12 including one or more additional movable members movably mounted along and about said longitudinal axis, and wherein all of the movable members are mounted and configured to mechanically interact with each other such that the manner in which a movable member that directs an energy beam moves is altered by its mechanical interaction with the other movable members.

19. An imaging probe for insertion into bodily lumens and cavities for imaging an interior of said bodily lumens and cavities or imaging exterior surfaces of a body, comprising:

a) an outer elongate sheath, an inner elongate sheath located in said outer elongate sheath having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and a midsection, and an imaging conduit located in said inner elongate sheath having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and a midsection, an imaging assembly being located in said distal end section of said imaging conduit for directing an energy beam out of said distal end section and receiving reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities or exterior surfaces, said imaging assembly being connected to a first end of said imaging conduit, said imaging conduit extending through the inner elongate sheath and being connectable at a second end thereof to an image processing and display system through the proximal end section;

b) said imaging conduit containing said imaging assembly being connectable to a first rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly, relative to said inner elongate sheath, about said longitudinal axis at an angular velocity, the rotational drive mechanism including adjustment means for varying said angular velocity; and

c) said outer elongate sheath having a distal end section and a proximal end section and a midsection aligned with said proximal end section, midsection and distal end section of said inner elongate sheath, and an energy emitting device affixed to said inner elongate sheath at said distal end section thereof for producing said energy beam;

b) said inner elongate sheath being connectable to a second rotational mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said inner elongate sheath, for rotating said energy emitting device, relative to said imaging conduit, about said longitudinal axis;

d) said imaging assembly including a scanning mechanism which includes a movable member configured to receive said energy beam from said energy emitting transducer and to deliver said energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward or side viewing capability of said imaging assembly, wherein said movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of said angular velocity, said scanning mechanism being configured to receive and deliver said reflected energy signals to said image processing system through said imaging conduit; and

e) said rotational drive means being connectable to a controller which is connected to said image processing and display system.

20. The imaging probe according to claim 19 wherein said reflective member is pivotally mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis for pivotal movement.

21. The imaging probe according to claim 19 wherein said reflective member is mounted such that it is moved by being deflected about an axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

22. A mechanism for insertion into bodily lumens and cavities that enables the delivery and/or collection of energy to an interior bodily region, comprising:

a rotary component having a rotary axis, a rotary drive mechanism connected to said rotary component, a tiltable or deflectable component, and a coupling mechanism for coupling said tiltable or deflectable component to said rotary component, an energy emitting device configured and positioned in said rotary component to deliver an energy beam from said tiltable or deflectable component, detection means configured and positioned in said rotary component to detect energy from said tiltable or deflectable component, said coupling mechanism being configured to couple said tiltable or deflectable component to said rotary component in such a way that a change in speed of rotation of the rotary component induces movement of said tiltable or deflectable component resulting in a change of an angle between a surface of the tiltable or deflectable component with respect to the rotary axis, wherein said rotary component is configured to rotate around said rotary axis, when driven by said rotary drive mechanism, that provides an initial degree of freedom with respect to a direction in which the energy beam is delivered to, or collected from, the tiltable or deflectable component, said tiltable or deflectable component providing a second degree of freedom with respect to the direction in which the energy beam is delivered or collected from, whereby the tiltable or deflectable component causes the energy beam to be delivered or collected at a general angle from the rotary axis, whereby the general angle from the rotary axis is determined substantially by the rotation of the rotary component.

23. The mechanism according to claim 22 where the energy is one or both of optical energy and ultrasound energy for imaging of interior bodily lumens and cavities.

24. The mechanism according to claim 22 where the energy is therapeutic energy being delivered into interior bodily lumens and cavities.

25. The mechanism according to claim 24 wherein the therapeutic energy includes continuous wave laser light or pulses of laser light.

26. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein said tiltable or deflectable component is a tiltable component pivotally mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to said rotary axis for pivotal movement.

27. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein said tiltable or deflectable component is a deflectable component mounted such that it is moved by being deflected about an axis substantially perpendicular to said rotary axis.

28. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein said energy beam is an acoustic ultrasound energy beam and said energy emitting device is an ultrasound transducer, and including a coaxial electrical cable electrically connected at one end thereof to said ultrasound transducer and connectable at another end thereof to a power supply and ultrasound signal processing circuit forming part of said image processing system.

29. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein the energy beam is a an optical light beam and said energy emitting device includes a fiber optic having a distal end mounted in said distal end of said elongate hollow shaft, said distal end of said optical fiber including an optical imaging emitter/receiver, the fiber optic extending along said elongate hollow shaft and having a proximal end optically coupled to a light source.

30. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein the energy beam is for imaging of the region.

31. The imaging probe according to claim 22 wherein the energy beam is for therapeutic means being delivered to the region.