Ultrasonic position indicator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject comprising:
- a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, wherein the light transmission medium is an optical fiber;
at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal;
a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal; and
a photoacoustic transducer including a photoacoustic material disposed in the desired region to absorb light transmitted by the light transmission medium to produce the acoustic signal, wherein the photoacoustic material is disposed at an end of the optical fiber, and wherein the photoacoustic material is a first photoacoustic material configured to produce a first frequency of sound from absorbed light, the system further comprising a second photoacoustic material configured to produce a second frequency of sound from absorbed light and coupled to the fiber distally from the first material, the first photoacoustic material being disposed and configured to absorb a first portion of light transmitted by the light transmission medium and to pass a second portion of the light transmitted by the light transmission medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject includes a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal, and a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal.
136 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject comprising:
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a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, wherein the light transmission medium is an optical fiber; at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal; a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal; and a photoacoustic transducer including a photoacoustic material disposed in the desired region to absorb light transmitted by the light transmission medium to produce the acoustic signal, wherein the photoacoustic material is disposed at an end of the optical fiber, and wherein the photoacoustic material is a first photoacoustic material configured to produce a first frequency of sound from absorbed light, the system further comprising a second photoacoustic material configured to produce a second frequency of sound from absorbed light and coupled to the fiber distally from the first material, the first photoacoustic material being disposed and configured to absorb a first portion of light transmitted by the light transmission medium and to pass a second portion of the light transmitted by the light transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject comprising:
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a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, wherein the light transmission medium comprises a plurality of optical fibers and the system further comprises position indicators coupled to the plurality of fibers; at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal; a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal; and a photoacoustic transducer including a photoacoustic material disposed in the desired region to absorb light transmitted by the light transmission medium to produce the acoustic signal, wherein the photoacoustic material is disposed at an ends of the optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject, the instrument being configured to be inserted into the subject, the system comprising:
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an array of ultrasound transducers configured to translate between ultrasound signals and electrical signals; an optical driver configured to provide optical excitation signals; a position indicator including an optical fiber, coupled to the optical driver and attached to the instrument, and a photoacoustic material disposed to absorb light transmitted by the optical fiber; a display configured to provide images in response to control signals; and a processor connected to the transducers, the optical driver, and the display, and configured to; actuate the array to emit ultrasound signals into the subject; receive first electrical signals from the array indicative of reflections of the emitted ultrasound signals; process the first electrical signals into first control signals indicative of a first image of the subject and to convey the first control signals to the display; actuate the driver to provide an excitation signal to the optical fiber; receive a second electrical signal from the array indicative of an ultrasound signal produced by the photoacoustic material; determine a position of the instrument from the second electrical signal; and process the second electrical signal into a second control signal indicative of a second image of the instrument and to convey the second control signal to the display. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An instrument for use with an ultrasound imager for monitoring positions associated with the instrument while the instrument is disposed in a subject, the instrument comprising:
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a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body being configured to be inserted into the subject; a first optical fiber coupled to the body and having a distal end disposed adjacent to the distal end of the body; and a first photoacoustic material on the first optical fiber configured to transduce optical signals received from the first optical fiber into first ultrasound signals and to emit the first ultrasound signals into the subject, wherein the distal end of the first optical fiber is disposed a known distance from the distal end of the body. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for monitoring the position of an instrument in a subject, the instrument being configured to be inserted into the subject, the system comprising:
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a plurality of ultrasound transducers configured to translate between ultrasound signals and electrical signals; driver means coupled to the ultrasound transducers for providing first excitation signals to the ultrasound transducers and for providing second excitation signals; position indicator means coupled to the driver and to the instrument for producing ultrasound signals in response to the second excitation signals from the driver means; and processor means, coupled to the transducers and the driver means, for controlling the driver means to cause the transducers to transmit first ultrasound signals into the subject, for determining an image of the subject from reflected subject signals related to the first ultrasound signals, for controlling the driver means to cause the position indicator means to produce a second ultrasound signals, for determining an indicator image corresponding to the position indicator means from indicator signals related to the second ultrasound signal, and for controlling a display to show an association between the indicator image and the image of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification