FIBER OPTIC INSTRUMENT SHAPE SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130085333A1
• 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:
  US13/603,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085333A1
• 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, a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber, and a controller is provided. The first optical fiber is operatively coupled to the elongate body and has a first strain sensor provided on the first optical fiber. The second optical fiber is not directly coupled to the elongate body and has a second strain sensor provided on the second optical fiber. The controller is operatively coupled to the first optical fiber and to the second optical fiber. The controller is adapted to receive a first signal from the first strain sensor and to receive a second signal from the second strain sensor. The first optical fiber has a different size than the second optical fiber.

Claims

1. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate body;

a first optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate body and having a first strain sensor provided on the first optical fiber;

a second optical fiber that is not directly coupled to the elongate body and that has a second strain sensor provided on the second optical fiber; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first optical fiber and to the second optical fiber and adapted to receive a first signal from the first strain sensor and to receive a second signal from the second strain sensor,

wherein the first optical fiber has a different size than the second optical fiber.

2. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the elongate body is adapted to be located inside a patient and wherein the second optical fiber is located outside the patient, wherein the second optical fiber is bigger than the first optical fiber.

3. The instrument system of claim 2, wherein a diameter of the second optical fiber is at least twice a diameter of the first optical fiber.

4. The instrument system of claim 2, wherein the first optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fiber cores and the second optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fiber cores, wherein the plurality of optical fiber cores of the second optical fiber are spread further apart than the plurality of optical fiber cores of the first optical fiber.

5. The instrument system of claim 1, further comprising an actuation element adapted to actuate the elongate body, wherein the second optical fiber is operatively coupled to the actuation element.

6. The instrument system of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to determine, based on the first signal, a position of the actuation element and is adapted to determine, based on the second signal, a position of the elongate body relative to the position of the actuation element.

7. A method for tracking an elongate body, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first strain sensor provided on a first optical fiber operatively coupled to an elongate body; and

receiving a second signal from a second strain sensor provided on a second optical fiber that is not directly coupled to the elongate body, wherein the first optical fiber has a different size than the second optical fiber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the first signal from the first strain sensor provided on the first optical fiber comprises receiving a signal from an optical fiber located inside a patient, and wherein the receiving the second signal from the second strain sensor provided on the second optical fiber comprises receiving a signal from an optical fiber located outside the patient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a diameter of the second optical fiber is at least twice a diameter of the first optical fiber.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fiber cores and the second optical fiber comprises a second plurality of optical fiber cores, wherein the plurality of optical fiber cores of the second optical fiber are spread further apart than the plurality of optical fiber cores of the first optical fiber.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the second signal from the second strain sensor provided on the second optical fiber comprises receiving a signal from an optical fiber operatively coupled to an actuation element adapted to actuate the elongate body.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, based on the first signal, a position of the actuation element; and

determining, based on the second signal, a position of the elongate body relative to the position of the actuation element.