Data communication with interventional instruments

• US 9,503,250 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Van Rens, Antonia Cornelia, Joye, Neil Francis, Marcelis, Bout
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/362,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20140336623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 375219-221, 375242-254, 375/259, 375309-315, 375353-376
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0008 Synchronisation information channels, e.g. clock distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/02 Speed or phase control by the received code signals, the signals containing no special synchronisation information H04L7/0075 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a data communication system (100) and a method that can particularly be applied for communicating data from a medical instrument like a catheter or a guide-wire via a high-speedlink (101). The system (100) comprises (in-vivo) a slave component (150) with a controllable slave clock (153) and a transmitter (151) for transmitting a data signal (ds) that is clocked by the slave clock signal (clk). Moreover, it comprises (ex-vivo) a master component (110) with a clock controller (114,115,116) that receives a master clock signal (ref_clk) and the data signal (ds) and that generates a clock control signal (ccs) for adjusting the slave clock (153) to the master clock (113). The slave clock (153) may thus be realized with low space and energy requirements, e.g. by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Moreover, the link (101) via which the data signal (ds) and the clock control signal (ccs) are exchanged may be realized by just two signal wires.

Claims

1. A medical system, comprising:

a) an interventional instrument including a slave component further including;

a1) a controlled oscillator for generating a slave clock signal in response to a received clock control signal via a link, and

a2) a transmitter for transmitting a data signal that is clocked by the slave clock signal on the link, the data signal includes encoded data from sensors, actuators, or imaging devices; and

b) external equipment including a master component further including;

b1) a receiver for receiving said data signal via the link,

b2) a master clock unit for generating a master clock signal, and

b3) a clock controller being configured to i) receive the master clock signal and the data signal, ii) recover the slave clock signal from the received data signal, and iii) compare the frequency of the recovered slave clock signal and the master in order to generate the clock control signal for adjusting the controlled oscillator to the master clock unit,

b4) a transmitter for transmitting at least the clock control signal via the link; and

c) the link includes at least two wires.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controlled oscillator is a voltage controlled oscillator or current controlled oscillator.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the link includes two signal wires.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter of the master component transmits a master signal via the link.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the master signal overrides the data signal.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the slave component includes a receiver for receiving an additional signal from the link.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the data signal, the clock control signal, a master signal, and an additional signal is represented by a difference of a voltage and/or a current between two signal wires of the link.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the clock control signal is represented by a common mode voltage and/or current on two signal wires of the link.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data signal is represented by the variation of a load coupled in the slave component to two signal wires of the link.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the clock control signal is represented by a common mode voltage and/or current on two signal wires of the link.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data signal, the clock control signal, and/or the master signal is represented by a common mode voltage and/or current on two signal wires of the link.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interventional instrument is a guidewire.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interventional instrument is a catheter.