Method and system for navigating a catheter probe
First Claim
1. A method of determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising the steps of:
- inducing within said sensing coil a set of orientation signal values each representative of an orientation of said sensing coil and independent of a position of said sensing coil;
determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signal values;
inducing within said sensing coil a set of positional signal values each representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
determining the position of said sensing coil using said positional signal values and said determined orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for navigating a catheter probe through a body cavity includes a sensing coil affixed to a distal end of the probe. Magnetic fields are projected into the body cavity to induce voltage signals in the sensing coil that are sufficient to describe the orientation and position of the probe. A set of magnetic coils each generates a substantially uniform field in a single respective dimension. The orientation angles of the sensing coil may be determined from known values of the unidirectional fields and the measured induced voltage signals. Gradient magnetic fields with components in two dimensions are projected into the body cavity to induce another group of voltage signals. The geometrical intersection of constant voltage surfaces developed by certain gradient fields that produce the measured induced voltage signals is a set of lines on which the catheter is located. The point of intersection of such lines yields the positional coordinates.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising the steps of:
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inducing within said sensing coil a set of orientation signal values each representative of an orientation of said sensing coil and independent of a position of said sensing coil;
determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signal values;
inducing within said sensing coil a set of positional signal values each representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
determining the position of said sensing coil using said positional signal values and said determined orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising:
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first transmit means for projecting into said navigational domain magnetic energy that is sufficient to induce signal values within said sensing coil representative of an orientation of said sensing coil and independent of the position of said sensing coil;
second transmit means for projecting into said navigational domain magnetic energy that is sufficient to induce signal values within said sensing coil representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
analysis means, coupled to said first transmit means and said second transmit means, for determining the position and orientation of said sensing coil from said induced signal values.
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8. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising:
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first signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil orientation signals that are representative of the orientation of said sensing coil;
analysis means, coupled to said first signal-inducing means, for determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signals and independent from a position of said sensing coil;
second signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil position signals that are representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
analysis means, coupled to said second signal-inducing means, for determining the position of said sensing coil using said determined orientation and said induced position signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising the steps of:
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defining the location of said sensing coil with a set of independent location parameters; and
sequentially generating within said navigational domain a sequence of magnetic fields for inducing within said sensing coil a corresponding sequence of induced signals each defined by an induced signal expression that functionally relates said induced signal to certain ones of said location parameters, such that said set of location parameters is determinable by sequentially solving individual signal expression groups each including certain ones of said induced signal expressions and sufficient to represent a subset of said location parameters. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising:
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means for defining the location of said sensing coil with a set of independent location parameters; and
field generation means for sequentially generating within said navigational domain a sequence of magnetic fields for inducing within said sensing coil a corresponding sequence of induced signals each defined by an induced signal expression that functionally relates said induced signal to certain ones of said location parameters, such that said set of location parameters is determinable by sequentially solving individual signal expression groups each including certain ones of said induced signal expressions and sufficient to represent a subset of said location parameters. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil in a navigational domain within a body, comprising the steps of:
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inducing within said sensing coil a set of orientation signal values each representative of an orientation of said sensing coil and independent of a position of said sensing coil;
determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signal values;
inducing within said sensing coil a set of positional signal values each representative of the position of said sensing coil by generating from outside said body a series of magnetic fields each penetrating at least said navigational domain and characterized substantially by two principal gradient magnetic components in respective axial dimensions and a relatively smaller magnetic component in a third axial dimension;
generating said fields to provide a plurality of constant signal surfaces for the sensing coil such that an intersection between two such surfaces with components in the same axial dimensions produces a line along which said sensing coil is located;
wherein said two such surfaces are identified from among said plurality of constant signal surfaces by their ability to induce one of said positional signal values; and
,determining the position of said sensing coil using said positional signal values and said determined orientation. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil in a navigational domain within a body, comprising:
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first signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil orientation signals that are representative of the orientation of said sensing coil, including field generation means for successively generating magnetic field patterns projected into said navigational domain, wherein said field generation means comprises a set of magnetic coils and said magnetic coils are disposed in a planar top of an examination deck upon which a patient is disposed during a surgical procedure;
analysis means, coupled to said first signal-inducing means, for determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signals and independent from a position of said sensing coil;
second signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil position signals that are representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
,analysis means, coupled to said second signal-inducing means, for determining the position of said sensing coil using said determined orientation and said induced position signals. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil in a navigational domain within a body, comprising:
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first signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil orientation signals that are representative of the orientation of said sensing coil, including field generation means for successively generating magnetic field patterns projected into said navigational domain, wherein said field generation means comprises a set of magnetic coils and said magnetic coils are disposed in a planar top and in rail members edge supported by said planar top for an examination deck upon which a patient is disposed during a surgical procedure;
analysis means, coupled to said first signal-inducing means, for determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signals and independent from a position of said sensing coil;
second signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil position signals that are representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
,analysis means, coupled to said second signal-inducing means, for determining the position of said sensing coil using said determined orientation and said induced position signals.
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32. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising:
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first signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil orientation signals that are representative of the orientation of said sensing coil, including field generation means for successively generating magnetic field patterns projected into said navigational domain, wherein said field generation means comprises a set of magnetic coils disposed in a planar top of an examination deck upon which a patient is disposed during a surgical procedure;
analysis means, coupled to said first signal-inducing means, for determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signals and independent from a position of said sensing coil;
second signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil position signals that are representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
analysis means, coupled to said second signal-inducing means, for determining the position of said sensing coil using said determined orientation and said induced position signals. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A system for determining the location of a magnetically-sensitive, electrically conductive sensing coil affixed to a distal end of a catheter probe partially inserted into a body cavity within a navigational domain, comprising:
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first signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil orientation signals that are representative of the orientation of said sensing coil, including field generation means for successively generating magnetic field patterns projected into said navigational domain, wherein said field generation means comprises a set of magnetic coils disposed in a planar top and in rail members edge supported by said planar top for an examination deck upon which a patient is disposed during a surgical procedure;
analysis means, coupled to said first signal-inducing means, for determining the orientation of said sensing coil using said induced orientation signals and independent from a position of said sensing coil;
second signal-inducing means for inducing within said sensing coil position signals that are representative of the position of said sensing coil; and
analysis means, coupled to said second signal-inducing means, for determining the position of said sensing coil using said determined orientation and said induced position signals.
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Specification