Ultrasound for locating anatomy or probe guidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9579120-B2
Application number	US-201113574738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2011
Priority date	Jan 29, 2010
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A hand-held apparatus can be used to assist in guiding a probe or locating a particular anatomical target in a subject. The apparatus can include an ultrasonic transducer located on or within a housing and configured to generate ultrasonic energy directed into tissue of a subject and configured to receive a portion of the ultrasonic energy reflected by a target located within the tissue. In an example, the apparatus can include a motion tracking circuit configured to provide information indicative of a motion of the hand-held apparatus to the processor circuit, and a display configured to present information about a location of the target with respect to a portion of the hand-held apparatus, the information about the location determined by the processor circuit using the obtained information indicative of the ultrasonic energy reflected by the target and the information indicative of the motion of the hand-held apparatus.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. A hand-held apparatus, comprising:
a hand-held housing having a planar surface;
a probe guide configured to provide a specified path for guiding travel by a probe, the guide extending along a central axis from an entry port to an exit port, the entry port configured for insertion of the probe into the probe guide by a user, the exit port configured to provide an insertion location for the probe in a subject, the exit port disposed proximal to the planar surface;
a piezoelectric element disposed proximal to the probe guide and configured to measure an angle of the central axis of the probe guide;
one or more ultrasonic transducers located on or within the hand-held housing and configured to generate ultrasonic energy directed into tissue of the subject at an angle parallel to the central axis of the probe guide, and configured to receive ultrasonic energy reflected by a target, including underlying bone and an access site adjacent to the underlying bone;
a motion tracking circuit included in the housing and configured to provide information indicative of a motion of the hand-held apparatus when the hand-held apparatus is mechanically scanned by the user;
a processor circuit configured to:
determine information about a relative location of the underlying bone and the access site with respect to a portion of the hand-held apparatus using the received ultrasonic energy and the information indicative of the motion of the hand-held apparatus; and
calculate the angle of the probe guide from an output of the piezoelectric element; and
a display mounted on or within the housing and configured to receive and display the determined information from the processor circuit; wherein
the information about the relative location of the underlying bone with respect to the portion hand-held apparatus includes information about a relative surface position of the underlying bone with respect to the portion of the hand-held apparatus and information about a relative orientation of the underlying bone with respect to the portion of the hand-held apparatus; and wherein
the probe guide includes a mechanical actuator configured to automatically adjust the angle of the probe guide according to the calculated angle and the determined information.

2. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information about a relative location of the underlying bone includes information indicative of first and second depths of the underlying bone at respective first and second locations; and the display is configured to provide the information of the first and second depths of the underlying bone at respective first and second locations using coloring or shading.

3. The hand-held apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more ultrasonic transducers comprises a first ultrasonic transducer focused to receive ultrasonic energy from a specified range of depths including the first depth, and a second ultrasonic transducer focused to receive ultrasonic energy from a specified different range of depths including the second depth, and
wherein active surfaces of the first and second ultrasonic transducers are laterally separated from each other along a face of the housing.

4. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuit is configured to construct a composite image of the underlying bone for presentation to the user via the display using received ultrasonic energy obtained when the hand-held apparatus is moved from a first position to a second position.

5. The hand-held apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor circuit is configured to construct the composite image to include a two-dimensional representation of the bone along with an indicator of one or more of a first depth of the underlying bone at the first location or a second depth of the underlying bone at the second location.

6. The hand-held apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor circuit is configured to construct the composite image to include a three-dimensional representation of bone.

7. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuit is configured to update the information about the relative location of the bone as the hand-held apparatus is moved using the information from the motion tracking circuit.

8. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the probe includes a catheter or a needle.

9. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a sterile seal configured to isolate the probe, or the subject, from a non-sterile portion of the apparatus.

10. The hand-held apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the processor circuit is configured to provide on the display information indicative of a position of the probe using information indicative of the angle of the probe obtained from the piezoelectric element.

11. A hand-held apparatus comprising:
a hand-held housing having a planar surface;
a probe guide configured to provide a specified path for guiding travel by a probe, the guide extending along a central axis from an entry port to an exit port, the entry port configured for insertion of the probe into the guide by a user, the exit port configured to provide an insertion location for the probe in a subject, the exit port disposed proximal to the planar surface;
one or more angled ultrasonic transducers located on or within the housing and configured to generate ultrasonic energy directed into tissue of a subject including energy directed at an angle parallel to the central axis of the probe guide included as a portion of the hand-held apparatus, and configured to receive the ultrasonic energy reflected by a target, including bone and an access site adjacent to the bone, located within the tissue;
a piezoelectric element disposed proximal to the probe guide and configured to measure an angle of the central axis of the probe guide;
a motion tracking circuit included in the housing and configured to provide information indicative of a motion of the hand-held apparatus when the hand-held apparatus is mechanically scanned by a user;
a processor circuit configured to:
determine information about a relative location of the bone and the access site with respect to a portion of the hand-held apparatus using the received ultrasonic energy reflected by the target and the information indicative of the motion of the hand-held apparatus; and
calculate the angle of the probe guide from an output of the piezoelectric element; and
a display mounted on or within the housing and configured to receive and display the determined information from the processor circuit; wherein
the processor circuit is further configured to construct a composite image of the bone for presentation to the user via the display, the composite image including information about a relative surface position of the bone with respect to the probe guide and information about a relative orientation of the bone with respect to the probe guide, using ultrasonic energy reflected by the target obtained when the hand-held apparatus is located in a first position along the subject, and ultrasonic energy reflected by the target obtained during or after movement of the hand-held apparatus to a second position, as the apparatus is mechanically scanned by the user; and wherein the probe guide includes a mechanical actuator configured to automatically adjust the angle of the probe according to the calculated angle and the determined information.

12. The hand-held apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more angled ultrasonic transducers comprises a first ultrasonic transducer focused to receive ultrasonic energy from a specified range of depths including the first depth, and a second ultrasonic transducer focused to receive ultrason

Assignees

• Mauldin Jr F William
• Viola Francesco
• Walker William F
• Univ Virginia Patent Foundation

Inventors

• Mauldin Jr F William
• Viola Francesco
• Walker William F

Classifications

• A61B46/10

  specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes} · CPC title

• A61B8/42

  Details of probe positioning or probe attachment to the patient · CPC title

• A61B2034/2048

  using an accelerometer or inertia sensor · CPC title

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B17/3401

  Puncturing needles for the peridural or subarachnoid space or the plexus, e.g. for anaesthesia · CPC title