Method and apparatus for tracking catheters

• US 5,005,592 A
• Filed: 10/27/1989
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Cartmell, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PONTIUS, KEVIN LANE
• Application Number:
  US07/428,386
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 128/631, 128/653 R, 128/897, 128/899, 128/903, 604/280, 340/686, 340/687, 340/810.32, 340/870.33, 340/870.34
• US Class Current: 128/899
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• 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 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 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for tracking catheters includes an oscillator which is coupled to a transmit coil. The transmit coil is rotated in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the transmit coil. A receive coil situated on the guide wire of a catheter inserted into a patient'"'"'s body receives the signal transmitted from the transmit coil. A rectifier rectifies the received signal, and a filter filters the rectified received signal. A strobe circuit provides strobes of light in response to the rectifie received signal and cooperates with bar image forming circuitry and structure to provide an image of a bar which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the receive coil, which is indicative of the orientation of the catheter and guide wire on which the receive coil is situated. A bar display indicates the relative proximity of the transmit coil to the receive coil, and a numeric display provides a read-out of the distance between the transmit coil and the receive coil.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining the location of an object adapted to be inserted into the body of a patient, which comprises:

a transmitter, the transmitter including an oscillator for generating a transmit signal, and a transmit coil coupled to the oscillator for transmitting a signal corresponding to the transmit signal;

a receiver, the receiver including a receive coil for receiving the signal transmitted by the transmitter by mutual inductance between the two coils, means for processing the signal received by the receive coil, one of the transmit coil and the receive coil being situated on the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, and the other of the receive coil and the transmit coil being located externally to the patient'"'"'s body, the processing means providing an output signal which varies in accordance with the strength of the signal received by the receive coil and detecting the distance the transmit coil is form the receive coil based on the strength of the signal received by the receive coil, the receiver further including display means coupled to the processing means for indicating at least the relative distance which the transmit coil is from the receive coil, whereby the location of the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body may be located; and

means for controlling the strength of the signal transmitted by the transmit coil in response to the output signal of the processing means of the receiver, the control means being operatively coupled to the processing means.

2. Apparatus for determining the location of an object adapted to be inserted into the body of a patient, which comprises:

a transmitter, the transmitter including an oscillator, the oscillator generating a first signal, means responsive to the first signal of the oscillator for controlling the level of the first signal in accordance with the strength of a signal received by a receiver operatively linked to the transmitter and providing a second signal, and a transmit coil responsive to the second signal and transmitting a third signal corresponding to the second signal; and

a receiver, the receiver including a receive coil separated from the transmit coil by a distance and for receiving the signal transmitted by the transmit coil and providing a received signal, processing means for processing the received signal to determine the distance between the receive coil and the transmit coil and for providing a processed signal, the control means being operatively coupled to the processing means of the receiver and responsive to the processed signal, and display means responsive to the processed signal for indicating at least the relative distance between the transmit coil and the receive coil, one of the transmit coil and the receive coil being situated on the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, and the other of the receive coil and the transmit coil being located externally to the patient'"'"'s body, whereby the location of the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body may be determined.

3. Apparatus for determining the orientation of an object adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises:

a transmitter oscillator, the transmitter oscillator generating a first signal;

a transmit coil situated externally to the patient'"'"'s body, the transmit coil being responsive to the first signal and transmitting a second signal corresponding to the first signal;

means for rotating the transmit coil in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the transmit coil;

a receive coil situated on the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, the receive coil receiving the second signal transmitted by the rotating transmit coil and providing a third signal in response thereto;

rectifying means responsive to the third signal for providing a rectified fourth signal;

strobe means for providing strobes of light in response to the rectified fourth signal; and

bar image forming means operatively cooperating with the strobe means for providing an image of a bar, the bar image being aligned with a longitudinal axis of the receive coil and thereby being indicative of the orientation of the object on which the receive coil is situated.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein the bar image forming means includes a slotted template, the slotted template being synchronously rotatable with the transmit coil and having an elongated slot formed therein, the slot being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the transmit coil.

5. The apparatus as defined by claim 4, wherein the slotted template of the bar image forming means is coupled to the transmit coil rotating means so as to rotate with the transmit coil.

6. Apparatus for determining the location of an object adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises:

a transmitter oscillator, the transmitter oscillator generating a first signal;

means responsive to the first signal for controlling the level of the first signal in accordance with the strength of a signal received by a receiver operatively linked to the transmitter oscillator and providing a second signal;

a transmit coil situated externally to the patient'"'"'s body, the transmit coil being responsive to the second signal and transmitting a third signal corresponding to the second signal;

a receive coil situated on the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, the receive coil receiving the third signal transmitted by the transmit coil and providing a fourth signal in response thereto;

rectifying means responsive to the fourth signal for providing a rectified fifth signal;

filter means responsive to the rectified fifth signal for providing a filtered sixth signal in response thereto, the control means being operatively coupled to the filter means and responsive to the filtered sixth signal and controlling the level of the second signal in response thereto; and

means for providing an indication of the location of the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, the location indicating means being responsive to the filtered sixth signal.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the object location indicating means includes means for providing a bar display indicating the relative proximity of the transmit coil to the receive coil, the bar display means being responsive to the filtered sixth signal.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the object location indicating means includes means for providing a numeric display of the distance between the receive coil and the transmit coil, the distance display means being responsive to the filtered sixth signal.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, which further determines the orientation of the object in the patient'"'"'s body, and which further comprises:

means for rotating the transmit coil in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the transmit coil;

strobe means for providing strobes of light in response to the rectified fifth signal; and

bar image forming means, the bar image forming means including a slotted template synchronously rotatable with the transmit coil and having an elongated slot formed therein, the slot being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the transmit coil, the bar image forming means operatively cooperating with the strobe means to provide an image of a bar, the bar image being aligned with a longitudinal axis of the receive coil and thereby being indicative of the orientation of the object on which the receive coil is situated.

10. Apparatus for determining the location and orientation of an object adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises:

a transmitter oscillator, the transmitter oscillator generating a first signal;

a transmitter modulator responsive to the first signal and providing a modulated second signal;

a transmit coil situated externally to the patient'"'"'s body, the transmit coil being responsive to the modulated second signal and transmitting a third signal corresponding to the second signal;

means for rotating the transmit coil in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the transmit coil;

a receive coil situated on the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body, the receive coil receiving the third signal transmitted by the rotating transmit coil and providing a fourth signal in response thereto;

rectifying means responsive to the fourth signal for providing a rectified fifth signal;

filter means responsive to the rectified fifth signal for providing a filtered sixth signal in response thereto, the transmitter modulator being further responsive to the filtered sixth signal and controlling the level of the modulated second signal in response thereto;

strobe means for providing strobes of light in response to the rectified fifth signal;

bar image forming means, the bar image forming means including a slotted template synchronously rotatable with the transmit coil and having an elongated slot formed therein, the slot being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the transmit coil, the bar image forming means operatively cooperating with the strobe means to provide an image of a bar, the bar image being aligned with a longitudinal axis of the receive coil and thereby being indicative of the orientation of the object on which the receive coil is situated; and

means for providing an indication of the location of the object adapted to be inserted into the patient'"'"'s body with respect to the transmit coil, the location indicating means being responsive to the filtered sixth signal.

11. A method for locating an object inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises the steps of:

generating a first signal;

transmitting the first signal from a transmit coil located externally to the patient'"'"'s body;

receiving the transmitted signal by a receive coil situated on the object in the patient'"'"'s body;

rectifying the signal received by the receive coil;

filtering the rectified signal and providing a filtered signal;

controlling the level of the first signal in response to the filtered signal; and

displaying an indication of the relative location of the object from the transmit coil in response to the filtered rectified signal.

12. A method for determining the orientation of an object inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises the steps of:

transmitting a signal from a transmit coil situated externally to the patient'"'"'s body;

rotating the transmit coil in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the transmit coil;

receiving the transmitted signal by a receive coil situated on the object inserted into the patient'"'"'s body;

rectifying the received signal;

providing strobes of light in response to the rectified received signal; and

forming an image of a bar in response to the strobes of light, the bar image being aligned with a longitudinal axis of the receive coil and thereby being indicative of the orientation of the object on which the receive coil is situated.

13. A method for determining the location and orientation of an object inserted into a patient'"'"'s body, which comprises the steps of:

generating a first signal;

modulating the first signal;

transmitting the modulated signal from a transmit coil situated externally to the patient'"'"'s body;

rotating the transmit coil in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the transmit coil;

receiving the transmitted signal by a receive coil situated on the object inserted into the patient'"'"'s body;

rectifying the received signal;

filtering the rectified received signal, the first signal being modulated in response to the filtered and rectified received signal;

providing strobes of light in response to the rectified and filtered received signal;

forming an image of a bar in response to the strobes of light, the bar image being aligned with a longitudinal axis of the receive coil and thereby being indicative of the orientation of the object on which the receive coil is situated; and

providing an indication of the location of the object with respect to the transmit coil in accordance with the strength of the filtered and rectified received signal.