SURGICAL TOOLS HAVING ELECTROMAGNETIC TRACKING COMPONENTS

• US 20170209073A1
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Auris Surgical Robotics, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Sramek, Christopher, Sidki, Nahid, Yu, Alan, Kintz, Gregory J., Romo, Enrique
• Granted Patent: US 10,932,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• 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

Abstract

A surgical tool having an electromagnetic (EM) sensor component is provided. The surgical tool has a flexible shaft portion. Additionally, the surgical tool has a rigid portion attached to the flexible shaft portion. The rigid portion comprises at least one EM sensor within the rigid portion. The at least one EM sensor comprises an extended core portion surrounded by a coil. Additionally, the at least one EM sensor generates a change in voltage when exposed to an electromagnetic field.

Claims

1. A surgical tool having an electromagnetic (EM) sensor component, the surgical tool comprising:

a flexible shaft portion; and

a rigid portion attached to the flexible shaft portion, wherein the rigid portion comprises at least one EM sensor within the rigid portion, wherein the at least one EM sensor comprises an extended core portion surrounded by a coil, and wherein the at least one EM sensor generates a change in voltage when exposed to an electromagnetic field.

2. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool is an endoscope.

3. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the rigid portion is a tip of the surgical tool.

4. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an internally extending core.

5. The surgical tool of claim 4, wherein the surgical tool is an endoscope.

6. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an internally extending core.

7. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an externally extending core.

8. The surgical tool of claim 7, wherein the externally extending core comprises a force sensing component.

9. The surgical tool of claim 8, wherein the force sensing component has a spherical shape.

10. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one EM sensor has a diameter of approximately 300 μ

m.

11. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one EM sensor has ferrous core.

12. A surgical tool having an electromagnetic (EM) sensor component, the surgical tool comprising:

a flexible shaft portion; and

a rigid portion attached to the flexible shaft portion, wherein the rigid portion comprises two EM sensors within the rigid portion, wherein at least one EM sensor of the two EM sensors comprises an extended core portion surrounded by a coil.

13. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein the two EM sensors are positioned obliquely with respect to each other.

14. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein the two EM sensors are positioned parallel with respect to each other.

15. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein a first EM sensor of two EM sensors comprises an externally extended core portion and wherein a second EM sensor of the two EM sensors does not have an extended core portion.

16. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein a first EM sensor of two EM sensors comprises an internally extended core portion and wherein a second EM sensor of the two EM sensors does not have an extended core portion.

17. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein a first EM sensor of two EM sensors comprises an externally extended core portion and wherein a second EM sensor of the two EM sensors comprises an internally extended core portion.

18. The surgical tool of claim 12, wherein at least one EM sensor of the two EM sensors generates a change in voltage when exposed to an electromagnetic field.

19. An electromagnetic (EM) system for tracking a surgical tool having at least one EM sensor integrated therein, comprising:

a plurality of field generator coils disposed within of a surgical bed, wherein the field generator coils are configured to generate an electromagnetic field within a control volume;

an EM system controller configured to activate the field generator coils to generate the electromagnetic field within the control volume; and

at least one EM sensor integrated within a surgical tool, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an extended core, and wherein the at least one EM sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to the electromagnetic field when the at least one EM sensor is located inside the control volume.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the surgical tool has two EM sensors integrated therein.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the two EM sensors are positioned obliquely with respect to each other.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an internally extended core.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one EM sensor has an externally extended core.

24. A surgical tool having an electromagnetic (EM) sensor component, the surgical tool comprising:

a flexible shaft portion; and

a plurality of EM sensors positioned along the flexible shaft portion, wherein the plurality of EM sensors are placed with a predetermined distance between successive EM sensors, wherein each EM sensor of the plurality of EM sensors comprises a core portion surrounded by a coil, wherein at least one EM sensor of the plurality of EM sensors has a force sensing component, and wherein each EM sensor of the plurality of EM sensors generates a change in voltage when exposed to an electromagnetic field.

25. The surgical tool of claim 24, wherein the surgical tool is a catheter.

26. The surgical tool of claim 24, wherein the plurality of EM sensors are spaced with a minimum interval distance between each EM sensor and a successive EM sensor.

27. The surgical tool of claim 26, wherein the minimal interval distance between each EM sensor and a successive EM sensor is at least 5 cm.

28. The surgical tool of claim 24, wherein a shape of the surgical tool is determined based upon differential voltage measurement between at least two EM sensors within the plurality of EM sensors.

29. The surgical tool of claim 24, wherein the plurality of EM sensors are de-couplable from the surgical tool.

30. The surgical tool of claim 24, wherein each EM sensor of the plurality of EM sensors has a length of between 2 mm and 4 mm.