Fiber optic instrument shape sensing system and method

• US 8,864,655 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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., Udd, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): STANFIELD, CHERIE MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US13/603,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 600/117
• 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, an optical fiber, and a controller is provided. The optical fiber is operatively coupled to the elongate body and has a plurality of strain sensors provided on the optical fiber. Each of the plurality of strain sensors has a reflectivity, wherein one of the plurality of strain sensors has a different reflectivity than another one of the plurality of strain sensors. The controller is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to: receive one or more signals from the plurality of strain sensors; and determine a position of the elongate body based on the one or more signals.

Claims

1. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate body;

an optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate body and having a plurality of strain sensors provided on the optical fiber, each of the plurality of strain sensors having a reflectivity, wherein one of the plurality of strain sensors has a different reflectivity than another one of the plurality of strain sensors; and

a controller operatively coupled to the optical fiber and comprising a first processor and a second processor,

wherein the first processor is configured to receive a first signal from the one of the plurality of strain sensors and to determine the position of the elongate body based on the first signal and based on optical frequency division reflectometry, and

wherein the second processor is configured to receive a second signal from the another one of the plurality of strain sensors and to determine the position of the elongate body based on the second signal and based on wave division multiplexing.

2. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of strain sensors has a lower reflectivity than the another one of the plurality of strain sensors.

3. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of strain sensors have a same frequency response.

4. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of strain sensors have different frequency responses.

5. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strain sensors each comprise a plurality of gratings, and wherein the one of the plurality of strain sensors has a different number of gratings than the another of the plurality of strain sensors.

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

receiving, at a first processor, a first signal from one of a plurality of strain sensors provided on an optical fiber operatively coupled to an elongate body, each of the plurality of strain sensors having a reflectivity, wherein one of the plurality of strain sensors has a different reflectivity than the another one of the plurality of strain sensors;

determining, using the first processor, the position of the elongate body based on the first signal and based on optical frequency division reflectometry;

receiving, at a second processor, a second signal from the another one of the plurality of strain sensors; and

determining, using the second processor, the position of the elongate body based on the second signal and based on wave division multiplexing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one of the plurality of strain sensors has lower reflectivity than the another one of the plurality of strain sensors.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein the receiving the one or more signals from the plurality of strain sensors comprises receiving one or more signals from at least two strain sensors having a same frequency response.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving the one or more signals from the plurality of strain sensors comprises receiving one or more signals from at least two strain sensors having different frequency responses.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of strain sensors each comprise a plurality of gratings, and wherein the one of the plurality of strain sensors has a different number of gratings than the another of the plurality of strain sensors.