Optical sensing-enabled interventional instruments for rapid distributed measurements of biophysical parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10610085-B2
Application number	US-201013501101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2010
Priority date	Oct 23, 2009
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

An interventional instrument, system and method include an elongated flexible member (100) having one or more segmented sections (101) disposed longitudinally. An optical fiber (104) is disposed internally in the flexible member. A plurality of optical sensors (102) are coupled to the optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the optical sensors are positioned to monitor parameters simultaneously at different positions or at different data sources along the flexible member to provide distributed sensing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interventional instrument, comprising:
an elongated flexible member having one or more sections disposed longitudinally;
at least one optical fiber disposed internally in the flexible member;
a plurality of uncoated optical sensors coupled to the at least one optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member to monitor a shape of the interventional instrument; and
a plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors coupled to the at least one optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors are positioned to monitor a plurality of different biophysical parameters simultaneously at at least one of different positions and for different data sources along the flexible member to provide distributed sensing, wherein each coated and/or crystalized optical sensor incorporates at least one of a coating material and a crystal material.

2. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the elongated flexible member includes one of a guide wire, a catheter and an endoscopic tool.

3. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical fiber includes a plurality of optical fibers distributed within the flexible member.

4. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 3 ,
wherein the plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors include an aligned set of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors associated with the plurality of optical fibers where the aligned set includes a coated and/or crystalized optical sensor associated with each fiber such that the aligned set measures a same biophysical parameter at a same axial position along a length of the flexible member.

5. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 3 ,
wherein the plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors include a staggered set of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors associated with the plurality of optical fibers where the staggered set includes a coated and/or crystalized optical sensor associated with each fiber such that the staggered set measures different biophysical parameters at a same axial position along a length of the flexible member.

6. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the interventional instrument is employed in conjunction with imaging data acquired pre-procedurally, intra-procedurally, or simultaneously with optical interrogation.

7. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors measure at least one of motion, strain, magnetism, voltage, temperature, pressure, biochemical state, and color.

8. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least two coated and/or crystalized optical sensors have a relative position therebetween, the relative position being determined to provide proximity to different data sources when the flexible member is located in a data gathering position such that data is gathered concurrently from each data source by a respective sensor of the at least two coated and/or crystalized optical sensors.

9. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sections include one or more segments including the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors wherein the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors measure segmental motion of each segment.

10. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors are further distributed along the length of the flexible member such that the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors are positioned to measure at least one of a deformation, vibration, or other distortion mode induced in a segment of the interventional instrument.

11. The interventional instrument as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flexible member includes a closeable aperture to expose at least one of the plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors.

12. A system for an interventional procedure, comprising:
an interventional instrument including
an elongated flexible member having one or more segmented sections disposed longitudinally,

at least one optical fiber disposed internally in the flexible member,
a plurality of uncoated optical sensors coupled to the at least one optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member to monitor a shape of the interventional instrument, and
a plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors coupled to the at least one optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the coated and/or crystalized optical sensors are positioned to monitor a plurality of different biophysical parameters simultaneously at at least one of different positions and for different data sources to provide distributed sensing, wherein each coated and/or crystalized optical sensor incorporates at least one of a coating material and a crystal material; and
a workstation configured to provide an interface to control the interventional instrument and to perform a procedure using the interventional instrument.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
a position and/or shape tracking system for tracking the interventional instrument during an interventional procedure wherein the workstation includes a display such that position data collected from the interventional instrument is overlaid on image data.

14. The system as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
a therapy mechanism disposed on the interventional instrument and controlled using the workstation such that therapy is applied to tissue during an interventional procedure.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
a fixation mechanism disposed on the interventional instrument and controlled using the workstation such that activation of the fixation mechanism stabilizes or positions at least one of the optical sensors relative to a target location during an interventional procedure.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 ,
wherein the at least one optical fiber includes a plurality of optical fibers distributed within the flexible member, and
wherein the plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors include an aligned set of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors associated with the plurality of optical fibers where the aligned set includes a coated and/or crystalized optical sensor associated with each fiber such that the aligned set measures a same biophysical parameter at a same axial position along a length of the flexible member.

17. The system as recited in claim 12 ,
wherein the at least one optical fiber includes a plurality of optical fibers distributed within the flexible member and
wherein the plurality of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors include a staggered set of coated and/or crystalized optical sensors associated with the plurality of optical fibers where the staggered set includes a coated and/or crystalized optical sensor associated with each fiber such that the staggered set measures different biophysical parameters at a same axial positions along a length of the flexible member.

18. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein at least two coated and/or crystalized optical sensors have a relative position therebetween, the relative position being determined to provide proximity to different data sources when the flexible member is located in a data gathering position such that data is gathered concurrently from each data source by a respective sensor of the

Assignees

• Chan Raymond
• Barley Maya Ella
• Desjardins Adrien Emmanuel
• Shechter Guy
• T Hooft Gert
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Chan Raymond
• Barley Maya Ella
• Desjardins Adrien Emmanuel
• Shechter Guy
• 'T Hooft Gert

Classifications

• A61B34/20

  Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis · CPC title

• A61B2017/00022

  Sensing or detecting at the treatment site · CPC title

• A61B2034/2061

  using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings · CPC title

• A61B90/06

  Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B1/00165 Primary

  with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics (A61B1/07 takes precedence) · CPC title