ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS INCORPORATING SPATIAL POSITION SENSORS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20100298712A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BK Medical Holding Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BK Medical Holding Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Dickie, Kris, Pelissier, Laurent, Zhuang, Bo, Leung, Corina
• Granted Patent: US 10,039,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• 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 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/58 Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device

Abstract

An ultrasound probe is equipped with a transducer element array and an internally located position marker trackable by a position sensing system or the like. The position marker is supported by a movement and rotation constraining fixture. The fixture is rigidly connected to the transducer element array of the probe. The fixture constrains the position and orientation of the position marker to match a spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array in the position marker'"'"'s constrained degrees of freedom. The position marker may moved along and rotated in its unconstrained degrees of freedom to match the spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array.

Claims

1. A trackable ultrasound probe for use in acquiring ultrasound data, the probe comprising:

a transducer element array for acquiring the ultrasound image;

a mount supporting the transducer element array at a fixed location and orientation relative to a housing;

a position marker enclosed within the housing, the position marker trackable relative to a reference coordinate system by a position sensing system; and

a fixture rigidly connected to the mount, the fixture supporting the position marker and configured to substantially constrain rotation of the position marker in at least two degrees of rotational freedom and configured to substantially constrain translational displacement of the position marker along at least two degrees of translational freedom;

wherein the orientation of the position marker in the two degrees of rotational freedom determined by the fixture and the location of the position marker along the two degrees of translational freedom determined by the fixture correspond to a pre-determined reference relationship relative to the transducer element array.

2. A probe according to claim 1 wherein an orientation of the position marker is trackable relative to the reference coordinate system by the position sensing system.

3. A probe according to claim 1, wherein the fixture is unitary with the housing.

4. A probe according to claim 3, wherein the mount is unitary with the housing.

5. A probe according to claim 1 wherein the fixture comprises a substantially cylindrical recess and the mount comprises a substantially rectangular recess and wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recess is substantially aligned with a mid-point of the rectangular recess.

6. A probe according to claim 1 wherein the position marker comprises a substantially cylindrical body and the transducer element array comprises a substantially linear array of transducer elements and wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body is substantially aligned with a mid-point of the linear array of transducer elements.

8. A probe according to claim 1 wherein the position marker comprises a substantially cylindrical body and the transducer element array comprises a substantially rectangular array of transducer elements and wherein an axis of the cylindrical body is substantially aligned with a mid-point of the rectangular array of transducer elements.

9. A probe according to claim 1 wherein the fixture comprises a stop, the position marker is against the stop, and wherein the stop is spaced apart from the transducer element array.

10. A probe according to claim 9 wherein the location of the position marker corresponds in three degrees of translational freedom to a pre-determined reference relationship relative to the transducer element array.

11. A trackable ultrasound probe for use in acquiring ultrasound data, the probe comprising:

a housing;

a transducer element array for acquiring ultrasound data, the transducer element array supported at a fixed location and orientation in the housing;

recess defined inside the housing and having an end at a pre-determined distance from the transducer element array;

a position marker trackable relative to a reference coordinate system by a position sensing system, the position marker snugly fitted in the recess, whereby an axis by which the orientation of the position marker is measured is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the recess; and

wherein the housing encloses a position marker.

12. A probe according to claim 11 wherein the recess comprises a cylindrical bore.

13. A probe according to claim 12 wherein an orientation of the position marker is trackable relative to the reference coordinate system by the position sensing system.

14. A probe according to claim 12 wherein the transducer element array is fixed in an opening in the housing.

15. A probe according to claim 12 wherein the transducer element array comprises a substantially linear array of transducer elements and wherein an axis of the bore is substantially aligned with a mid-point of the linear array of transducer elements.

16. A probe according to claim 12 wherein the transducer element array comprises a substantially rectangular array of transducer elements and wherein an axis of the bore is substantially aligned with a mid-point of the rectangular array of transducer elements.

17. A probe according to claim 12 wherein the bore comprises a stop, and wherein the stop is spaced apart from the transducer element array.

18. A probe according to claim 17 wherein the position marker abuts the stop.

19. A method for installing a position marker in an ultrasound probe at a desired spatial relationship with an ultrasound transducer element array of the probe, the ultrasound probe comprising a fixture configured to support the position marker in an orientation that is adjustable relative to the transducer element array, the method comprising:

positioning the probe such that the transducer element array has a pre-determined spatial relationship with a position base unit, the position base unit configured to determine a real-time orientation of the marker relative to the position base unit; and

adjusting the orientation of the position marker in the fixture while monitoring orientation of the position marker in real-time until the real-time orientation of the position marker determined by the position base unit matches a pre-determined orientation corresponding to the desired spatial relationship.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein positioning the probe in a pre-determined spatial relationship with the position base unit comprises mounting the probe on a jig rigidly connected to the position base unit.

21. A trackable ultrasound probe for use in acquiring ultrasound data, the probe comprising:

a housing;

a transducer element array for acquiring ultrasound data, the transducer element array supported at a fixed location and orientation in the housing;

a fixture supported at a fixed location and orientation in the housing, the fixture comprising a bore having an end at a pre-determined distance from the transducer element array; and

a position marker trackable relative to a reference coordinate system by a position sensing system, the position marker snugly fitted in the bore,

wherein an axis by which the orientation of the position marker is measured is aligned with an axis of the bore.