SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVE MEASUREMENT OF FIBER OPTIC INSTRUMENT SENSORS

• US 20130085331A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ramamurthy, Bhaskar S., Tanner, Neal A., Younge, Robert G., Schlesinger, Randall L.
• Application Number:
  US13/602,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085331A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/117
• 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

An instrument system that includes an elongate body, an optical fiber, and a controller is provided. The optical fiber is operatively coupled to the elongate body and has a plurality of strain sensors provided on the optical fiber. The controller is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to obtain signals from one of the plurality of strain sensors more frequently than from another of the plurality of strain sensors and to determine a position of the elongate body based on the obtained signals from the one of the plurality of strain sensors.

Claims

1. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate body;

an optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate body and having a plurality of strain sensors provided on the optical fiber; and

a controller operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to;

obtain signals from one of the plurality of strain sensors more frequently than from another of the plurality of strain sensors; and

determine a position of the elongate body based on the obtained signals from the one of the plurality of strain sensors.

2. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber comprises a proximal portion. and a distal portion, and wherein the one of the plurality of strain sensors is located on the distal portion and the another of the plurality of strain sensors is located on the proximal portion.

3. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to obtain the signals by selecting, based on movement of the elongate body, the one of the plurality of strain sensors to be sampled more frequently.

4. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber comprises a first proximal portion and a second proximal portion, wherein the second proximal portion is more proximal than the first proximal portion, and wherein the controller is adapted to select, based on an increase in signal amplitude of signals from the first proximal portion relative to signals from the second proximal portion, the first proximal portion to be sampled more frequently.

5. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strain sensors comprise a plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings.

6. The instrument system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of axially-spaced Bragg gratings are substantially continuous along the optical fiber.

7. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate body;

an optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate body and having a plurality of strain sensors provided on the optical fiber; and

a controller operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to;

select a reference strain sensor from among the plurality of strain sensors;

receive signals from the plurality of optical fibers; and

determine, based on the signals received from the plurality of strain sensors, a position of the elongate body relative to a position of reference strain sensor.

8. The instrument system of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of strain sensors is most proximal to the controller, and wherein the selected reference strain sensor is not the one of the plurality of strain sensors.

9. The instrument system of claim 8, wherein the selected reference strain sensor is adjacent to the one of the plurality of strain sensors.

10. The instrument system of claim 7, wherein the reference strain sensor is a first strain sensor, and wherein the controller is adapted to select a second reference strain sensor from among the plurality of strain sensors.

11. The instrument system of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a position of the first strain sensor relative to a position of the second reference strain sensor.

12. The instrument system of claim 7, further comprising a localization sensor operatively coupled to the elongate body, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a position of the reference strain sensor relative to a position of the localization sensor.

13. The instrument system of claim 7, wherein the instrument system is adapted to prevent the reference strain sensor from moving.

14. The instrument system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of strain sensors comprises a plurality of Bragg gratings that are substantially continuous or overlapping.

15. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate body;

an optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate body and having a plurality strain sensors provided on the optical fiber; and

a controller operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to;

select a measurement strain sensor from among the plurality of strain sensors;

receive a signal from the measurement strain sensor; and

determine, based on the signal, a position of a portion of the elongate body at which the measurement strain sensor is located.

16. The instrument system of claim 15, wherein the measurement strain sensor comprises a Braga grating, and wherein the controller is configured to receive the signal by measuring only a portion of the Bragg grating, Wherein a length of the portion of the Braga grating is less than a length of the Bragg grating.

17. The instrument system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of Bragg gratings are overlapping.

18. The instrument system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to select a reference strain sensor from among the plurality of strain sensors, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the position of the portion of the elongate body relative to a position of the reference strain sensor.

19. The instrument system of claim 18, wherein the selected reference strain sensor is adjacent to the selected measurement strain sensor.

20. The instrument system of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of strain sensors is most proximal to the controller, and wherein the selected measurement strain sensor is not the one of the plurality of strain sensors.