Property determination apparatus for determining a property of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763642-B2
Application number	US-201113878585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2011
Priority date	Oct 14, 2010
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a property determination apparatus ( 1 ) for determining a property of an object ( 3 ). Optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object and ultrasound sensing data being indicative of an ultrasound property of the object are generated, and a property determination unit ( 75 ) determines a property of the object based on at least one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data. Since light and ultrasound have generally different penetration depths and scattering properties with respect to the object, a property of the object can be determined with good quality, even if the quality of one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is reduced by, for example, a relatively small penetration depth, or if one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is less suitable for determining a desired property of the object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A property determination apparatus for determining a property of an object, wherein the property determination apparatus ( 1 ) comprises:
an optical sensor ( 6 , 7 , 73 ) for generating optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object ( 3 ), wherein the optical sensor comprises optical fibers ( 6 ),
an ultrasound sensor ( 10 ) for generating ultrasound sensing data being indicative of an ultrasound property of the object ( 3 ),
an energy application element ( 4 ) being an ablation electrode for applying energy to the object ( 3 ), wherein the ultrasound sensor ( 10 ) and the optical fibers ( 6 ) are integrated in the ablation electrode ( 4 ),
a property determination unit ( 75 ) for determining a property of the object ( 3 ) based on at least one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data, wherein the property determination unit ( 75 ) is adapted to determine a property of a surface of the object ( 3 ) from the optical sensing data,
wherein the property determination apparatus comprises at least two ultrasound sensors ( 10 ) being adapted to sense the object in different sensing directions, wherein the property determination apparatus ( 1 ) further comprises an ultrasound sensor selection unit ( 77 ) for selecting an ultrasound sensor from the at least two ultrasound sensors ( 10 ) depending on the generated optical sensing data and wherein the property determination unit ( 75 ) is adapted to determine the property of the object ( 3 ) depending on the ultrasound sensing data of the selected ultrasound sensor.

2. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the property determination apparatus ( 1 ) comprises a catheter ( 21 ), wherein the optical sensor ( 6 ) and the ultrasound sensor are integrated in the catheter ( 21 ).

3. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the property determination unit ( 75 ) is adapted to determine a depth influence value being indicative of a depth to which the object ( 3 ) has been influenced by the applied energy from the ultrasound sensing data.

4. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound sensor selection unit ( 77 ) is adapted to determine the orientations of the sensing directions relative to the object ( 3 ) from the optical sensing data and to select an ultrasound sensor based on the determined orientations.

5. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 4 , wherein the ultrasound sensor selection unit ( 77 ) is adapted to select the ultrasound sensor of which the sensing direction is most perpendicular to a surface of the object ( 3 ).

6. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the property determination apparatus ( 1 ) further comprises a display ( 10 ) for displaying at least one of the optical sensing data, the ultrasound sensing data, and the determined property of the object ( 3 ).

7. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 6 , wherein energy is applied to the object ( 3 ) at an energy application location on the object ( 3 ), wherein the optical sensor is adapted to generate optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object ( 3 ) at the energy application location, wherein the ultrasound sensor is adapted to generate ultrasound sensing data at the energy application location, wherein the property determination unit ( 75 ) is adapted to determine a property of the object ( 3 ) based on at least one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data at the energy application location, wherein the property determination apparatus further comprises:
a storage unit ( 78 ) for storing at least one of the optical sensing data, the ultrasound sensing data and the determined property,
an image providing unit ( 2 ) for providing an image of the object, wherein the display is adapted to display the energy application location on the image,
a user interface ( 79 ) for allowing a user to select the shown energy application location, wherein the display is adapted to display at least one of the optical sensing data, the ultrasound sensing data and the determined property, if the displayed energy application location has been selected by the user.

8. The property determination apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein
the property determination apparatus ( 1 ) further comprises:
an energy application plan providing unit ( 84 ) for providing an energy application plan comprising energy application locations at which energy is to be applied to the object ( 3 ),
a contact determination unit ( 15 ) for determining whether the energy application element ( 4 ) is in contact with the object ( 3 ) based on the ultrasound sensing data,
a moving unit ( 29 ) for moving the energy application element ( 4 ), the optical sensor and the ultrasound sensor to an energy application location of the energy application plan,
a control unit ( 85 ) for controlling the property determination apparatus in accordance with following steps:
a) providing an energy application plan comprising energy application locations at which energy is to be applied to the object ( 3 ) by the energy application plan providing unit ( 201 ),
b) moving the energy application element ( 4 ), the optical sensor and the ultrasound sensor to an energy application location of the energy application plan by the moving unit ( 202 ),
c) generating ultrasound sensing data at the energy application location by the ultrasound sensor,
d) determining whether the energy application element ( 4 ) is in contact with the object ( 3 ) at the energy application location based on the ultrasound sensing data, wherein, if the energy application element ( 4 ) is not in contact with the object, the position of the energy application element is modified by the moving unit ( 202 ) and steps c) and d) are repeated, until the energy application element ( 4 ) is in contact with the object ( 3 ),
e) generating optical sensing data at the energy application location by the optical sensor,
f) determining whether the object ( 3 ) has already been influenced by energy at the energy application location by the property determination unit ( 75 ) depending on the optical sensing data, wherein, if the object ( 3 ) has already been influenced by energy at the energy application location, the method continuous with step b) for moving the energy application element ( 4 ), the optical sensor and the ultrasound sensor to a next energy application location of the energy application plan,
g) applying energy to the object ( 3 ) at the energy application location,
h) generating ultrasound sensing data at the energy application location by the ultrasound sensor,
i) determining whether the object ( 3 ) has been influenced by energy to a predefined degree at the energy application location by the property determination unit ( 75 ) depending on the ultrasound sensing data, wherein steps g) to i) are repeated, until the object ( 3 ) has been influenced by energy to the predefined degree at the energy application location,
j) repeating steps b) to i) with a next energy application location of the energy application plan until energy has been applied to all energy application locations of the energy application plan.

9. A property determination method for determining a property of an object, wherein the property determination method comprises:
generating optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object by an optical sensor, wherein the optical sensor comprises optical fibers,
generating ultrasound sensing data being indicative of an ultrasound property of the object by an ultrasound sensor,
applying energ

Assignees

• Harks Erik Godefridus Antonius
• Nachabe Rami
• Hendriks Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus
• Deladi Szabolcs
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Harks Erik Godefridus Antonius
• Nachabe Rami
• Hendriks Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus
• Deladi Szabolcs

Classifications

• A61B5/0036

  including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating · CPC title

• A61B2017/00292

  mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means · CPC title

• A61B2018/00577

  Ablation · CPC title

• A61B2218/002

  Irrigation · CPC title

• A61B5/0261

  using optical means, e.g. infrared light · CPC title