Catheter localization system and method for performing medical diagnostics
First Claim
1. A system for determining a position of a head of a catheter with reference to a body part of a human or animal body from mapping information appertaining to a three-dimensional map of said body, said system comprising a first plurality of acoustic transducers disposed about said catheter head in spaced apart relationship, which catheter head in use is positionable at a predetermined location in said body part, and a signal processing unit which operates to determine said three dimensional map of said body part, based upon a first set of measurement data appertaining to measured times of flight of acoustic signals generated by at least one of said first plurality of acoustic transducers acting as an acoustic signal source and received by said first plurality of acoustic transducers acting as acoustic receivers, said times of flight of said acoustic signals being representative of a distance traveled between said acoustic signal source and said acoustic receivers reflected from said body part.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter localization system for generating information appertaining to a three dimensional map of a part of a human or animal body from which three dimensional map a position of said catheter may be determined. The catheter localization system includes a catheter having a catheter head which is arranged in use to be conveyed through the human or animal body to a desired localization, a plurality of acoustic transducers disposed about said catheter head at predetermined localizations and a signal processing unit which operates to determine said three dimensional map of said part of a human or animal body consequent upon signals received by a plurality of acoustic transducers acting as acoustic receivers, which acoustic signals were generated by at least one of said plurality of acoustic transducers acting as an acoustic source.
43 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A system for determining a position of a head of a catheter with reference to a body part of a human or animal body from mapping information appertaining to a three-dimensional map of said body, said system comprising a first plurality of acoustic transducers disposed about said catheter head in spaced apart relationship, which catheter head in use is positionable at a predetermined location in said body part, and a signal processing unit which operates to determine said three dimensional map of said body part, based upon a first set of measurement data appertaining to measured times of flight of acoustic signals generated by at least one of said first plurality of acoustic transducers acting as an acoustic signal source and received by said first plurality of acoustic transducers acting as acoustic receivers, said times of flight of said acoustic signals being representative of a distance traveled between said acoustic signal source and said acoustic receivers reflected from said body part.
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13. A method of determining a position of a catheter head within a part of a human or animal body comprising the steps of
generating acoustic signals from at least one of a plurality of acoustic transducers acting as an acoustic signal source, disposed on said catheter head, receiving said acoustic signals with said plurality of acoustic transducers acting as acoustic receivers after said acoustic signals have been reflected from a wall of the body part, determining a first set of measurement data appertaining to distances traveled by said acoustic signals from said at least one acoustic transducer acting as an acoustic signal sources to said plurality of acoustic transducers acting as acoustic receivers, and determining mapping data representative of a three dimensional map of the part of the human or animal body.
Specification