System and method for radar-assisted catheter guidance and control
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a catheter-like tool having a distal end responsive to a magnetic field and configured to be inserted into the body of a patient, comprising:
- a magnetic field source for generating a magnetic field, said magnetic field source outside the body;
a radar system to measure radar data;
a sensor system to measure positions of a plurality of fiduciary markers;
a user input device for inputting commands to move said distal end; and
a system controller for controlling a direction and amplitude of a magnetic field produced by controlling a plurality of currents in electromagnets of said magnetic field source in response to inputs from said user input device, said radar system, and said sensors said system controller configured to compute a location of said distal end by using said radar data to identify contrast between said distal end and body tissues, said contrast resulting from the relative dielectric constants of said distal end and the body tissues.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons. The magnetic tip performs two functions. First, it allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined by using a radar system such as, for example, a radar range finder or radar imaging system. Incorporating the radar system allows the CGCI apparatus to detect accurately the position, orientation and rotation of the surgical tool embedded in a patient during surgery. In one embodiment, the image generated by the radar is displayed with the operating room imagery equipment such as, for example, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, MRI, CAT-Scan, PET-Scan, etc. In one embodiment, the image is synchronized with the aid of fiduciary markers located by a 6-Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) sensor. The CGCI apparatus combined with the radar and the 6-DOF sensor allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient'"'"'s body. A virtual representation of the magnetic tip serves as an operator control. This control possesses a one-to-one positional relationship with the magnetic tip inside the patient'"'"'s body. Additionally, this control provides tactile feedback to the operator'"'"'s hands in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of this control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field.
289 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a catheter-like tool having a distal end responsive to a magnetic field and configured to be inserted into the body of a patient, comprising:
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a magnetic field source for generating a magnetic field, said magnetic field source outside the body; a radar system to measure radar data; a sensor system to measure positions of a plurality of fiduciary markers; a user input device for inputting commands to move said distal end; and a system controller for controlling a direction and amplitude of a magnetic field produced by controlling a plurality of currents in electromagnets of said magnetic field source in response to inputs from said user input device, said radar system, and said sensors said system controller configured to compute a location of said distal end by using said radar data to identify contrast between said distal end and body tissues, said contrast resulting from the relative dielectric constants of said distal end and the body tissues. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for controlling movement of a tool having a distal end to be inserted in a body, comprising;
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a magnetic field source configured in a cluster-like arrangement on a C-Arm forming a magnetic circuit and generating a magnetic field, said magnetic field source comprising a first plurality of electromagnet coils provided substantially above the body and a second plurality of electromagnet coils provided substantially below the body; a tool having a distal end responsive to said magnetic field; a system controller for regulating electrical currents in said first plurality of electromagnet coils and said second plurality of electromagnet coils to produce a desired strength and orientation of said magnetic field to provide a position and command input to control said tool distal end; a radar system for measuring a position of said distal end; and wherein said system controller compensates for a dynamic position of a wall of a heart chamber, thereby offsetting a response of said distal end to said magnetic field such that said distal end moves in substantial unison with said wall. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification