Hand held devices for magnetic induction tomography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018206758-A1
Application number	US-201615747562-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Jul 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for magnetic induction tomography imaging using a hand held device are provided. More particularly, a magnetic induction tomography imaging system can include a hand held magnetic induction tomography device having a housing and at least one sensing unit. The housing of the hand held device can have a form factor such that the location of a hand holding the housing is separated from the sensing unit when the hand held device is in operation. The hand held magnetic imaging tomography device can include one or more electrical components separated in the housing (e.g., by shielding) from the at least one sensing unit to reduce electromagnetic interference between the at least one sensing unit and the one or more electrical components. A positioning system involving components included internally and/or externally to the hand held device can be used to determine position data for the hand held device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic induction tomography imaging system, comprising:
a hand held magnetic induction tomography device, the hand held magnetic induction tomography device comprising a housing and at least one sensing unit, each sensing unit comprising a single coil, the hand held magnetic induction tomography device configured to obtain a coil measurement associated with the single coil when the single coil is energized with RF energy and placed adjacent to a specimen; a positioning system configured to determine a position of the hand held magnetic induction tomography device associated with each coil measurement; and a map generation system configured to generate an electromagnetic property map of at least a portion of the specimen based at least in part on the coil measurement associated with the single coil.

2 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a form factor to facilitate holding by hand when obtaining the coil measurement.

3 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the housing has a form factor such that the location of a hand grasping the housing when in operation is separated a threshold distance from the single coil.

4 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the threshold distance is in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches.

5 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the hand held device comprises one or more electrical components or mechanical components disposed in the housing.

6 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more electrical components or mechanical components comprise one or more of the map generation system, an RF energy source, one or more processors, one or more memory devices, one or more positioning devices, one or more communications devices, or a measurement circuit.

7 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more electrical components or mechanical components are separated from the single coil of the at least one sensing unit by a threshold distance.

8 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the threshold distance is in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches.

9 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the hand held magnetic induction tomography device further comprises shielding separating the single coil of the at least one sensing unit from the one or more electrical components or mechanical components.

10 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the hand held magnetic induction tomography device is in communication with the map generation system over a wired or wireless communications interface.

11 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system comprises one or more of an electromagnetic positioning system, optical sensing system, or an acoustic positioning system.

12 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system is configured to determine a position and an orientation of the hand held device associated with each coil measurement.

13 . The magnetic induction tomography imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system comprises one or more motion sensors or depth sensors on the hand held magnetic induction tomography device.

14 . A hand held magnetic induction tomography device comprising:
a housing having a form factor to facilitate holding by hand; at least one sensing unit, each sensing unit comprising a single coil; one or more electrical components separated from the at least one sensing unit a sufficient distance to reduce electromagnetic interference between the one or more electrical components and the at least one sensing unit; wherein the hand held magnetic induction tomography device is configured to obtain a coil measurement from the sensing unit when the single coil is energized with RF energy and placed adjacent to a specimen.

15 . The hand held magnetic induction tomography device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical components comprise one or more of the map generation system, an RF energy source, one or more processors, one or more memory devices, one or more positioning devices, one or more communications devices, or a measurement circuit.

16 . The hand magnetic induction tomography device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more electrical components are separated from the single coil of the at least one sensing unit by a threshold distance.

17 . The hand magnetic induction tomography device of claim 15 , wherein the hand held magnetic induction tomography device further comprises shielding separating the single coil of the at least one sensing unit from the one or more electrical components.

18 . A method for magnetic induction tomography imaging, the method comprising:
accessing a plurality of coil property measurements obtained for a specimen using a single coil of a hand held magnetic induction tomography device, the single coil coupled to and energized with radio frequency energy from an RF energy source, each of the plurality of coil property measurements obtained with the single coil at one of a plurality of discrete locations relative to a specimen, each coil property measurement comprising a detected coil property of the single coil coupled to and energized with radiofrequency energy from an RF energy source; each of the plurality of coil property measurements obtained with the single coil at one of a plurality of discrete locations relative to a specimen; associating coil position data with each of the plurality of coil property measurements, the coil position data indicative of the position and orientation of the single coil relative to the specimen for each coil measurement, the coil position data obtained using a positioning system configured to determine a position of the hand held magnetic induction tomography device; accessing a model defining a relationship between coil property measurements obtained by the single coil and an electromagnetic property of the specimen; and generating a three-dimensional electromagnetic property map of the specimen using the model based at least in part on the plurality of coil property measurements and the coil position data associated with each coil measurement.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the hand held device comprises a housing having a form factor to facilitate holding by hand when obtaining the coil measurement.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the housing has a form factor such that the location of a hand grasping the housing when in operation is separated a threshold distance from the single coil, the threshold distance being in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Feldkamp Joseph R
• Sullivan Shawn Jeffery
• Long Andrew M

Classifications

• A61B2562/0219

  Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• A61B5/053

  Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body · CPC title

• G01R33/0064

  comprising means for performing simulations, e.g. of the magnetic variable to be measured · CPC title

• A61B2560/0406

  specially shaped apparatus housings · CPC title