U.S. patent application number 13/778864 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-22 for method and apparatus for localizing an ultrasound catheter.
This patent application is currently assigned to St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Charles Bryan Byrd, Praveen Dala-Krishna, David A. Jenkins. Invention is credited to Charles Bryan Byrd, Praveen Dala-Krishna, David A. Jenkins.
Application Number | 20130217997 13/778864 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36575304 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130217997 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Byrd; Charles Bryan ; et
al. |
August 22, 2013 |
Method and apparatus for localizing an ultrasound catheter
Abstract
An imaging system is provided with an ultrasound catheter and a
controller coupled to the ultrasound catheter. The catheter
includes a localizer sensor configured to generate positional
information for the ultrasound catheter, and an imaging ultrasound
sensor having a restricted field of view. The controller
co-registers images from the imaging ultrasound sensor with
positional information from the localizer sensor.
Inventors: |
Byrd; Charles Bryan;
(Oakdale, MN) ; Dala-Krishna; Praveen;
(Sicklerville, NJ) ; Jenkins; David A.;
(Sebastian, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Byrd; Charles Bryan
Dala-Krishna; Praveen
Jenkins; David A. |
Oakdale
Sicklerville
Sebastian |
MN
NJ
FL |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
St. Jude Medical, Atrial
Fibrillation Division, Inc.
St. Paul
MN
|
Family ID: |
36575304 |
Appl. No.: |
13/778864 |
Filed: |
February 27, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12650521 |
Dec 30, 2009 |
8428691 |
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13778864 |
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10994424 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
7713210 |
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12650521 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
600/409 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 8/463 20130101;
A61B 8/54 20130101; A61B 8/4488 20130101; A61B 5/062 20130101; A61B
8/445 20130101; A61B 5/06 20130101; A61B 5/063 20130101; A61B 5/064
20130101; A61B 8/4263 20130101; A61B 8/12 20130101; A61B 8/4254
20130101; A61B 8/5238 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
600/409 |
International
Class: |
A61B 8/00 20060101
A61B008/00; A61B 8/08 20060101 A61B008/08; A61B 8/12 20060101
A61B008/12 |
Claims
1-17. (canceled)
18. An imaging system, comprising: an ultrasound catheter,
comprising: an elongate body including a proximal section and a
distal section, the distal section configured to be received within
a body of a patient; an imaging ultrasound sensor disposed on the
elongate body; and, a plurality of magnetic positional sensors
disposed on the elongate body; a magnetic field emitter configured
to generate a magnetic field and a frame of reference against which
positions of the plurality of magnetic positional sensors are
measured; and, a controller configured to co-register images from
the imaging ultrasound sensor with positional information from the
plurality of magnetic positional sensors.
19. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the imaging ultrasound
sensor comprises a directional sensor.
20. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the imaging ultrasound
sensor comprises a phased-array transducer.
21. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the magnetic field
emitter comprises a device disposed outside of the body of the
patient.
22. The imaging system of claim 21, wherein the device is
configured to be positioned on or near the body of the patient and
to generate the magnetic field within the body of the patient.
23. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the magnetic field
emitter comprises a device configured for insertion within the body
of the patient.
24. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the controller is
further configured to project a three-dimensional position of the
ultrasound catheter onto a display.
25. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the controller is
further configured to generate a context map of a geometry of an
anatomical structure on a display and highlight one or more
features on the context map corresponding to a location for which
ultrasound data has been captured by the imaging ultrasound
sensor.
26. The imaging system of claim 18, wherein the ultrasound catheter
further comprises at least one directional ultrasound positioning
sensor.
27. A method for displaying medical images, comprising: generating
an image using an ultrasound catheter including an imaging
ultrasound sensor disposed on an elongate body disposed within a
body of a patient; determining positions of a plurality of magnetic
positional sensors disposed on the elongate body relative to a
frame of reference generated by a magnetic field emitter; and,
coregistering the image from the imaging ultrasound sensor with
positional information from the plurality of magnetic positional
sensors.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the imaging ultrasound sensor
comprises a directional sensor.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein the imaging ultrasound sensor
comprises a phased-array transducer.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein the magnetic field emitter
comprises a device disposed outside of the body of the patient.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the device is configured to be
positioned on or near the body of the patient and is configured to
generate a magnetic field within the body of the patient.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein the magnetic field emitter
comprises a device configured for insertion within the body of the
patient.
33. The method of claim 27, further comprising projecting a
three-dimensional position of the ultrasound catheter onto a
display.
34. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating a context
map of a geometry of an anatomical structure on a display and
highlighting one or more features on the context map corresponding
to a location for which ultrasound data has been captured by the
imaging ultrasound sensor.
35. The method of claim 27, wherein the ultrasound catheter further
comprises at least one directional ultrasound positioning
sensor.
36. An ultrasound imaging catheter, comprising: an elongate shaft
including a proximal section and a distal section, the distal
section configured to be received within a body of a patient; an
imaging ultrasound sensor disposed on the distal section of the
elongate shaft; and, a plurality of magnetic positional sensors
disposed on the distal section of the elongate shaft, the plurality
of magnetic positional sensors including a first magnetic
positional sensor disposed at a first location along a length of
the elongate shaft proximal to the imaging ultrasound sensor and a
second magnetic positional sensor disposed at a second location
along the length of the elongate shaft distal to the imaging
ultrasound sensor.
37. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 36, wherein the first
and second magnetic positional sensors comprise phased-array
transducers.
38. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 36, wherein the
plurality of magnetic positional sensors comprise a plurality of
directional sensors equally spaced about a circumference of the
elongate shaft.
39. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 36, further comprising
a directional sensor disposed at a known position relative to the
imaging ultrasound sensor.
40. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 39, wherein the
directional sensor is disposed on the elongate shaft diametrically
opposite the imaging ultrasound sensor.
41. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 36, wherein the
imaging ultrasound sensor is disposed on a first section of the
elongate shaft and at least one of the plurality of magnetic
positional sensors is disposed on a second section of the elongate
shaft, the second section having a greater flexibility than the
first section.
42. The ultrasound imaging catheter of claim 36, wherein the
imaging ultrasound sensor is configured to operate in an imaging
mode in which the imaging ultrasound sensor generates an imaging
ultrasound pulse and a positioning mode in which the imaging
ultrasound sensor generates a positioning ultrasound pulse.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/650,521, filed 30 Dec. 2009 (the '521
application), now pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/994,424, filed 23 Nov. 2004 (the '424
application) now U.S. Pat. No. 7,713,210, issued 11 May 2010. The
'521 application and the '424 application are both hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety as though fully set
forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to medical imaging
systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for
localizing an ultrasound imaging catheter.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Medical imaging technology is used to improve the diagnosis
and treatment of medical conditions. Presently available medical
imaging technology includes a wide variety of ultrasound, X-ray,
nuclear, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other imaging
systems. A technology of particular benefit to diagnosis and
treatment of cardiovascular conditions uses imaging ultrasound
detectors mounted a percutaneous catheter.
[0006] Techniques exist for localizing catheters deployed within a
patient's body. One such technique is described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,192,266 to Dupree ("Dupree" hereafter), which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety. In particular, Dupree generates
an electric field with one of a basket electrode and a roving
electrode, the electric field being characterized by the physical
dimensions and spacing among the basket electrodes. A navigation
application is provided which analyzes the spatial variations in
the electrical potentials sensed within the field, and provides a
location output which locates the roving electrode within the space
defined by the basket, in terms of its position relative to the
position of the multiple basket electrodes. Other such systems also
exist.
[0007] The Dupree system, however, may be problematic in some
applications due to its use of an electrode generated electric
field to determine the location of the probe. In particular,
electric fields generated intra-body can generate electrical
currents which flow in the body that may cause muscle stimulation,
which may result in heart arrhythmias, etc., when used in or near
the heart, such as intra-cardiac sensing or treatment. Thus, a need
exists for a non-electric field-based catheter locating system that
does not induce significant electric currents in the body. There is
also a particular need for catheter locating methods that are
compatible with ultrasound imaging catheters, and for methods of
utilizing localized position information in combination with image
rendering.
[0008] Other problems with the prior art not described above can
also be overcome using the teachings of the present invention, as
would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after
reading this disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an
imaging system is provided with an ultrasound catheter including a
tubular body, and a controller coupled to the ultrasound catheter.
The ultrasound catheter includes a localizer sensor adapted and
configured to generate positional information for the ultrasound
catheter, and an imaging ultrasound sensor positionable relative to
the tubular body so as to have a first restricted field of view.
The controller co-registers images from the imaging ultrasound
sensor with positional information from the localizer sensor.
Preferably, the first restricted field of view spans less than 360
degrees about the tubular body.
[0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
method of displaying medical images from a catheter-based imaging
ultrasound sensor having a first restricted field of view is
provided including generating at least one image with the imaging
ultrasound sensor, calculating a position of the imaging ultrasound
sensor, coregistering the calculated position with the at least one
generated image, and displaying the at least one generated image
based on the calculated positional information, wherein the first
restricted field of view spans less than 360 degrees about a body
of the catheter.
[0011] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an
imaging system is provided including means for generating a
plurality of two dimensional (2D) images of a structure, means for
determining a section of the structure corresponding to each of the
plurality of 2D images, and means for displaying a three
dimensional (3D) display of at least a portion of the structure
from the plurality of 2D images.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1A depicts an ultrasound catheter probe according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 1B depicts a field of regard and a field of view for
one side of one of the ultrasound sensors of FIG. 1A.
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts a yaw angle and a roll of the ultrasound
catheter probe of FIG. 1A.
[0015] FIG. 3 depicts a pitch angle of the ultrasound catheter
probe of FIG. 1A.
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts a positioning system according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts an ultrasound catheter probe according to
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts a cross sectional view of catheter probes
including a plurality of directional sensors according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 7 depicts a method of displaying medical images from a
catheter-based imaging sensor having a restricted field of view
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary
embodiments of the present invention. Wherever possible, the same
reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to
the same or like parts.
[0021] The various embodiments of the present invention provide
capabilities to determine the location of medical instrumentation
and/or treatment devices within a patient's body using ultrasound
echolocation and/or three dimensional (3D) triangulation
techniques, and to use this localized information in conjunction
with medical images. Relative positions of one instrument with
respect to other instruments and registration of instrumentation
positions with respect to the patient's body may be obtained, which
is generally referred to herein as "localizing" the
instrumentation. Thus, references to catheters as particular types
of medical instrumentation and treatment devices are not intended
to be limiting since the claimed systems and methods equally apply
to other non-catheter probes/medical devices positional within the
body, including remote or robotic surgery, esophageal probes, and
medical, veterinarian and forensic applications where an
instrumentation or tools require positioning within a body where
they cannot be observed directly by the operator.
[0022] The various embodiments of the present invention employ
sensors on a probe, such as a catheter, that are capable of sensing
a signal to determine a range or bearing to an emitter in
combination with 1, 2, 3 or more emitters in order to determine a
one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional
(3D) position, respectively, of the probe with respect to the
emitters. The range or bearing information is referred to herein as
positional information because the information permits determining
the position of the sensor with respect to an emitter and/or a
frame of reference. The sensors that receive signals from emitters
are referred to herein as localizer sensors, because the sensors
permit locating the sensor with respect to an emitter and/or a
frame of reference. Three types of ranging/directional signals
described herein include magnetic fields, electrical fields and
ultrasound, but other signals are contemplated consistent with the
purpose and techniques described herein. The emitters may be placed
on or within a body, preferably at dispersed positions around and
near an area in which the probe will be operated.
[0023] As will be discussed, the emitters are preferably positioned
at predetermined, fixed or determinable (i.e., measurable)
positions on, in or near the body to provide a relative frame of
reference for locating the probe. When the positions of emitters
are based upon the patients body, such as on the chest at measured
distances from a part of the anatomy (e.g., the sternum), the
emitters provide a relative frame of reference for positioning the
probe with respect to the body. Also, emitters may be positioned at
predetermined or measured locations with respect to an external or
absolute frame of reference, such as an operating table or
electrophysiology lab. When the positions of emitters are measured
against an external frame of reference, they are said to be
"registered" to the external frame of reference and may serve as
fiducial references for locating the probe within the external
frame of reference.
[0024] Magnetic field emitters may be used to localize a probe
within a patient's body by using magnetic field sensors positioned
on the probe, such as a catheter to measure the magnetic field
strength or sense a direction of the magnetic field. In this
embodiment, magnetic field emitters are magnets of a known or
measurable field strength, such as permanent magnets and
electromagnets. Preferably, electromagnets are used so that the
emitted magnetic field can be turned on and off sequentially to
permit sensors to determine a range or bearing to each
electromagnet sequentially.
[0025] In an embodiment employing magnetic field strength
measurements, a magnetic field strength sensor is positioned at a
known or fixed position on a probe, such as a catheter, that is
capable of measuring the relative or absolute magnetic field around
it. Since the strength of a magnetic field decreases with distance
from a magnet, a range or distance to the magnet from the sensor
can be calculated using known methods and simple calculations. By
measuring the range R.sub.i to three or more magnets, a 3D position
of the sensor is easily calculated using well known methods as the
intersection of three or more spheres of radius R.sub.i each
centered on each magnet.
[0026] In an alternative embodiment employing magnetic field
direction sensors, a magnetic field direction sensor is positioned
at a known or fixed position on a probe, such as a catheter, that
is capable of sensing the direction of a local magnetic field.
Similar to a compass, this sensor may be configured to sense the
direction or bearing to the magnet in 1, 2 or 3 dimensions with
respect to the catheter. By measuring the bearing to three or more
magnets, a 3D position of the sensor is easily calculated using
well known triangulation methods as the intersection of three or
more vectors each passing through a magnet.
[0027] Electric field emitters may be used to localize a probe
within a patient's body by using electric field sensors positioned
on the probe, such as a catheter to measure the electric field
strength or other electric field properties such as impedance. In
such embodiments, an electric field may be applied to the body by
means of an electrode to which a voltage or alternating field (such
as radio frequency) is applied of a known or measurable strength.
The electric field applied to electrodes can be turned on and off
sequentially to permit sensors to determine a range to each
electrode sequentially.
[0028] In an embodiment employing electric field sensors, a voltage
sensor, such as an electrode, is positioned at a known or fixed
position on a probe, such as a catheter, that is capable of
measuring the relative electric (i.e., voltage) field around it.
Since the strength of an electric field decreases with distance
from an electrode, a range or distance to the magnet from the
sensor can be calculated using known methods and simple
calculations. By measuring the range R.sub.i to three or more
magnets, a 3D position of the sensor is easily calculated using
well known methods as the intersection of three or more spheres of
radius R.sub.i each centered on each magnet.
[0029] In an alternative embodiment employing electric field
sensors, a electric field sensor, such as an electrode, is
positioned at a known or fixed position on a probe, such as a
catheter, that is capable of receiving an alternating electric
field and passing the signal, such as via a coaxial cable, to
external equipment configured to measure impedance between the
emitter electrode and the sensor electrode on the catheter. Since
the impedance between the electrode emitter and sensor electrode on
the catheter varies with distance, a range or distance to the
emitter electrode can be calculated using known methods and simple
calculations. Similar to other embodiments, by measuring the range
R.sub.i to three or more electrodes, a 3D position of the sensor is
easily calculated using well known methods as the intersection of
three or more spheres of radius R.sub.i each centered on each
electrode.
[0030] Ultrasound emitters may be used to localize a probe within a
patient's body by using ultrasound sensors positioned on the probe,
such as a catheter to measure receive ultrasound pulses emitted by
emitters positioned within or external to the body.
[0031] According to such an embodiment of the present invention as
shown in FIG. 1A, an ultrasound catheter 200 includes an imaging
ultrasound sensor 240, and a positional array with positional
sensors 210, 220, 230. Preferably, positional sensors 210, 220, 230
comprise ultrasound sensors as will be described in greater detail
below. Other positional sensors are also contemplated, such as the
magnetic positional sensors and resistance/impedance positional
sensors described above, as would be readily apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure.
[0032] A first annular ultrasound sensor 230 may be positioned at
or near a proximal end of the catheter 200 and second annular
ultrasound sensor 210 may be positioned at some distance from the
first annular ultrasound sensor 230. In this embodiment, the first
annular ultrasound sensor 230 and the second annular ultrasound
sensor 210 are positioned so as to bracket the imaging ultrasound
sensor 240 along a length of the catheter 200.
[0033] As referenced above, the term "annular" refers to sensors
which have a "field of view" that extends substantially all the way
around the long axis of the catheter 200. Magnetic, electric and
ultrasound sensors may each be configured as annular sensors.
Annular ultrasound sensors are typically ring shaped transducers
that create ultrasound pulses and receive echoes from those pulses
around the circumference of the catheter 200. Due to their
configuration, annular ultrasound sensors may create and/or receive
minimal or no ultrasound pulses along the length (i.e., long axis)
of the catheter 200 (see FIG. 1B, which shows a restricted field of
view with no ultrasound pulses being created/received along the
length of the catheter 200). An annular ultrasound sensor may
comprise a single sensor, such as a ring-shaped transducer, or an
array of sensors.
[0034] In addition to annular ultrasound sensors 210, 230, a
directional sensor 220 may be circumferentially positioned at a
known angle about the catheter axis relative to the imaging
ultrasound sensor 240. Preferably, the known angle between the
directional sensor 220 and the imaging ultrasound sensor 240 is in
the range of about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees. Most
preferably, the known angle is about 180 degrees around the
catheter circumference from the transmission face of the imaging
ultrasound sensor 240. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 1A, the directional sensor 220 is positioned substantially
opposite the imaging ultrasound sensor 240 about the catheter 200.
Other configurations are also contemplated.
[0035] As referenced above, the term "directional" refers to
sensors which do not transmit or which do not have a field of view
that extends substantially all the way around the long axis of
catheter 200. Due to this configuration, directional ultrasound
sensors, for example, create and/or receive ultrasound pulses along
a restricted field of view (i.e., a field of view less than 360
degrees about the long axis of catheter 200). Such a field of view
may be cone-shaped where the angle of the cone of transmitted
and/or received ultrasound may narrow to nearly 180 degrees.
However, the breadth of the restricted field of view may vary
depending on the particular directional sensor 220 utilized, as
would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after
reading this disclosure.
[0036] It should be appreciated that while only three ultrasound
sensors 210, 220, 230 are shown as forming the positional
ultrasound array, additional sensors may also be provided to
improve the accuracy and/or reliability of the position
determination as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill
in the art after reading this disclosure. By way of example, a
near-omni directional transducer may be mounted on a tip of
catheter 200; e.g. a transducer which has a 4.pi. radians
(approximate) field of view except along the length of catheter 200
(i.e., the long axis). This near-omni directional transducer may be
substituted for or be provided in addition to the annular
ultrasound sensors 210, 230.
[0037] It should also be appreciated that ultrasound has a limited
path length within the body due to sound absorption by tissue and
blood, and therefore more than three sensors may be required in
some applications to localize medical devices positioned near or
beyond the maximum path length of the particular tissue. Further,
in addition to the limited path length issue, multipath issues can
also be problematic in ultrasound based localizers. Multipath
refers to ultrasound pulses generated by a first source arriving at
first receiver at different times due to different path lengths.
The speed of ultrasound is different in bones, tissues, and fluids
(e.g., blood). Thus a single ultrasound pulse passing through
different body structures will arrive at a sensor at slightly
different times. Also, ultrasound may refract in, reflect off and
preferentially conduct through different body structures,
permitting an ultrasound pulse to reach a sensor along different
paths. The combined effects are multipath errors that may reduce
location accuracy achievable with ultrasound localization because
determination of the travel time of an ultrasound pulse does not
correlate exactly to the distance traveled. However, by providing
more than three sensors, the combined distance measurements can be
correlated to help reduce multipath induced errors.
[0038] Additionally, one or more of ultrasound sensors 210, 220,
230 may be positioned on a rigid portion of catheter 200, and/or
one or more of ultrasound sensors 210, 220, 230 may be positioned
on a flexible portion of catheter 200. Preferably, at least imaging
ultrasound sensor 240 and directional ultrasound sensor 220 are
positioned on a rigid portion of catheter 200. Other configurations
are also contemplated. For example, with catheters that may be
flexed or bent in one or more angles, additional sensors (e.g., one
for each positionable segment) may be used to provide 3D position
information on the catheter segments.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ultrasound pulses of the
first annular ultrasound sensor 230 and the second annular
ultrasound sensor 210 are used to determine the 3D position of the
catheter 200 with respect to a frame of reference. As discussed
above, it should be appreciated that the phrase "frame of
reference" refers to any known position and/or coordinate system
which can be used to determine the absolute position of catheter
200 within a patient's body by knowing the relative position
between the frame of reference and the catheter 200 and the
relative position of the patient's body and the frame of reference.
In this regard, the frame of reference may be established using a
second or third catheter (see FIG. 4) having a known position or an
image obtained by other technology (e.g., fluoroscopy, x-ray,
etc.). The frame of reference may be a fixed frame of reference to
which the catheters and the patient are located (e.g., on an exam
table or the like), a frame of reference fixed on the patient's
body (e.g., externally generated ultrasound signals provided at
registered fiducial points on the patient's body), a detected and
recognizable structure (e.g., the heart wall or valve). The use of
a frame of reference is also applicable to embodiments using
non-ultrasound positional sensors, such as the magnetic positional
sensors, and resistance/impedance positional sensors previously
described. It should be appreciated that multiple frames of
reference may be used to further improve the accuracy and
reliability of the position determination, the selection of which
may depend upon the nature of the medical procedure and the
required positional precision.
[0040] According to the present embodiment, the ultrasound pulses
generated by the first annular ultrasound sensor 230 and the second
annular ultrasound sensor 210 as well as the echoes in response
thereto are measured (in time and/or strength) and are used to
determine the planar angle 250 along the X-Y plane (the "yaw"
angle) and the Z offset angle 252 (the "pitch" angle) with respect
to the frame of reference using positioning algorithms known in the
art. For example, knowing the speed of sound in blood and the time
when a pulse is emitted, the measured delay of a received pulse can
be used to determine position by spherical triangulation. It should
be appreciated that increasing the number of annular ultrasound
sensors 210, 230 as previously noted would improve accuracy of the
pitch and yaw determination, as more relational data is generated
for the positioning algorithms.
[0041] In addition to determining the 3D position of the catheter
200, it is also desirable to know the direction an instrument, such
as an ultrasound imaging transducer, optical imager or
microsurgical instrument, is facing. For example, interpretation of
intracardiac echocardiography images would be facilitated if the
direction that the imaging ultrasound sensor 240 is facing is known
with respect to the frame of reference, particularly for an imaging
ultrasound sensor 240 with a limited field of view. This
determination can be achieved by receiving in some but not all
catheter sensors the ultrasound pulse generated by directional
ultrasound sensor 220 as well as the echo off other sensors (in
time and/or strength) and the pulses from those other catheter
sensors within the field of view of directional ultrasound sensor
220, the data from which is collectively used to calculate the
direction the directional ultrasound 220 is pointed. As directional
ultrasound sensor 220 is positioned at a known angle from the
ultrasound sensor 240 about the catheter 200, the direction 254 of
ultrasound sensor 240 (the "roll" of catheter 200) relative to the
frame of reference can be determined based on the measured
direction of directional ultrasound sensor 220.
[0042] The aforementioned configuration thus has the capability of
determining the 3D position of the catheter 200 relative to the
frame of reference, as well as the direction of imaging ultrasound
sensor 240. This provides a user of the system with a greater
amount of information as to the position of a given image generated
by catheter 200 than in conventional systems. In particular,
various embodiments provide the user with the pitch, yaw, and roll
position of catheter 200 having an imaging ultrasound sensor 240
with a restricted field of view. Thus a six dimensional (6D) (x, y,
z, pitch, yaw, roll) localizing capability is afforded by
embodiments of the present invention.
[0043] According to another embodiment of the present invention as
shown in FIG. 4, a catheter positioning system is provided for more
accurately determining the position (or relative position) of
catheter 200 of FIG. 1A. In particular, the catheter positioning
system includes a first positioning catheter 300 and a second
positioning catheter 400 preferably positioned at some angle from
catheter 200 as shown. By way of example, if the catheter 200 is
used for intra-cardiac ultrasound (and thus positioned somewhere in
the right atrium of a patient's heart), the first positioning
catheter 300 and second positioning catheter 400 may be positioned
so as to better triangulate the position of the catheter 200 within
the heart. Other locations for positioning catheters 300, 400 are
also contemplated. Additionally, an external location
source/system, such as an X-ray system and/or external ultrasound
transducers/beacons, may be used in conjunction with the
aforementioned configuration to better determine or to confirm the
position of ultrasound catheter 200. The position of one or both of
catheters 300, 400 may be established by an external localizing
means (e.g., an x-ray), so as to qualify as a frame of reference
for determining the position of catheter 200. This embodiment may
be used to reduce x-ray exposure to the patient and attendants by
using one or a few x-ray images to localize the positioning
catheters 300, 400, which then can be used to localize the imaging
catheter 200 during an intracardiac echocardiography session
without the case of additional fluoroscopy. Alternatively,
additional or other frames of references may also be used as
previously described.
[0044] According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the
first positioning catheter 300 includes at least two annular
localizer sensors 310, 320 positioned on a tubular body thereof so
as to generate respective near-omni directional ultrasound pulses.
In a like manner, the second positioning catheter 400 includes at
least two annular localizer sensors 410, 420 positioned on the
tubular body thereof so as to generate respective near-omni
directional ultrasound pulses. The positional sensors 310, 320,
410, 420 illustrated in FIG. 4 comprise ultrasound sensors, however
non-ultrasound sensors may also be used, such as the magnetic
positional sensors, and resistance/impedance positional sensors
previously described. The annular ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 410,
420 of the positioning catheters 300, 400 can be similar to the
annular ultrasound sensors 210, 230 of catheter 200 in that they
create and/or receive ultrasound pulses from substantially all
angles about the circumference of catheters 300, 400, respectively.
Other configurations are also contemplated, such as positioning
catheters each with only one annular ultrasound sensor, positioning
catheters each with more than two annular ultrasound sensors, and
configurations with only one positioning catheter or more than two
positioning catheters.
[0045] Alternatively, instead of annular sensors, two, three, four
or more directional ultrasound sensors may be spaced at known
angular intervals to provide near-omni directional ultrasound
pulses. This alternative embodiment may further feature using
different ultrasound frequencies on each such directional sensor or
pulsing such sensors at different known times so that received
pulses can be processed to identify which of the directional
sensors emitted the received pulse. This additional information may
be useful in certain applications where multipath errors may be an
issue or where high positional precision is required (e.g., when
microsurgery is being performed). An exemplary implementation of
this technique is shown in greater detail in FIG. 6, with catheters
600, 610 generating a plurality of ultrasound pulses from
directional sensors having individual field of views P1, P2, P3
(for catheter 600) and F1, F2, F3 (for catheter 610). Other
configurations are also contemplated.
[0046] It should be appreciated that, while ultrasound positional
sensors have been described, other non-ultrasound positional
sensors may be used. As previously noted, examples of
non-ultrasound positional sensors include magnetic positional
sensors and resistance/impedance positional sensors. It should
further be appreciated that a combination of the ultrasound and
non-ultrasound positional sensors may be used for some
applications. Such a combination may be used for positioning
catheter 300, positioning catheter 400, and/or catheter 200.
[0047] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the positioning catheters 300, 400 and the ultrasound catheter 200
are electrically coupled to controller 299, the controller 299
being adapted and configured to receive the echo data and to
determine therefrom a three dimensional (3D) position of the
ultrasound catheter 200 relative to a frame of reference from
electrical signals generated by positioning catheters 300, 400 and
ultrasound catheter 200. The controller 299 may comprise an
appropriately programmed microprocessor, an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC) or other similar control and calculation
device, as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in
the art after reading this disclosure.
[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
positioning catheters 300, 400 and the ultrasound imaging catheter
200 are coupled to controller 299 via an integrated positioning and
imager junction box. The integrated positioning and imager junction
box may include isolation circuitry to reduce or eliminate stray
currents from controller 299, which would otherwise be radiated
along the length of catheter 200.
[0049] In operation, the annular ultrasound sensors 310, 320 of
first positioning catheter 300, the annular ultrasound sensors 410,
420 of second positioning catheter 400, and the annular ultrasound
sensors 210, 230 of ultrasound catheter 200 record the time of
arrive of pulses from all positioning sensors in their field of
regard. Additionally, echoes of a given sensor's own pulses
bouncing off another catheter may also be received and used to
determine location. For example, an imaging ultrasound sensor may
image a catheter within its field of view. As such, the field of
view and field of regard of a given sensor may differ, where the
"field of regard" refers to the direction(s) from which a given
sensor may receive echoes (see FIG. 1B). Hence, the field of regard
may be the same or different from a given sensor's overall field of
view, which is the directions in which the sensor is facing.
[0050] Using the known speed of sound through blood, the controller
299 is able to calculate the relative positions of the sensors by
spherical triangulation. More specifically, the ultrasound sensors
310, 320 detect the ultrasound sensors 210, 230, 410, 420; the
ultrasound sensors 210, 230 detect the ultrasound sensors 310, 320,
410, 420; and the ultrasound sensors 410, 420 detect the ultrasound
sensors 310, 320, 210, 230. By measuring the time delay of each
pulse and/or the signal strength of received pulses, the relative
positions of the three catheters 200, 300 and 400 can be determined
using known algorithms, and thus used to calculate the pitch and
yaw of catheter 200 relative to the frame of reference.
[0051] To further determine the roll of catheter 200, the annular
ultrasound sensors 310, 320 of catheter 300, the directional
ultrasound sensor 220 of catheter 200, and the annular ultrasound
sensors 410, 420 of catheter 400 detect each other. Thus, the
ultrasound sensors 310, 320 detect the ultrasound sensors 220, 410,
420; the directional ultrasound sensor 220 detects the ultrasound
sensors 310, 320, 410, 420; and the ultrasound sensors 410, 420
detect the ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 220. By measuring the time
delay of each pulse and/or the signal strength of received pulses,
the relative positions of directional ultrasound sensor 220 from
ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 410, 420 can be determined using known
algorithms. In this regard, it should be appreciated that not all
of ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 410, 420 may detect the directional
ultrasound sensor 220 due to the restricted field of view of
directional ultrasound sensor 220. However, based off of the
measured time delay and/or signal strength of the received pulses
(including a measurement of no pulse received), the direction of
directional ultrasound sensor 220 can be determined. This allows
the direction of imaging ultrasound sensor 240 to be determined
based on the known angle between imaging ultrasound sensor 240 and
directional ultrasound sensor 220.
[0052] The aforementioned location technique can be enhanced by
gating each of the ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 210, 220, 230, 410,
420 to operate or emit pulses at different time intervals.
Alternatively, each of the ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 210, 220,
230, 410, 420 may operate at different frequencies (preferably also
different from imaging ultrasound sensor 240), such that multiple
ones of the ultrasound sensors 310, 320, 210, 220, 230, 410, 420
may generate/detect simultaneously. In this manner, the identity of
each positioning sensor can be easily determined by the controller
299 according to the received frequency. Other configurations and
methods are also contemplated.
[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention as shown
in FIG. 5, an ultrasound imaging catheter 500 is provided, the
ultrasound catheter including an imaging ultrasound sensor 540, and
a positional ultrasound array with positional ultrasound sensors
210, 230. Similar to the ultrasound catheter 200 of FIG. 1A, first
annular ultrasound sensor 230 is positioned at or near a proximal
end of the catheter 200 and second annular ultrasound sensor 210 is
positioned at some distance from first annular ultrasound sensor
230. Preferably, the first annular ultrasound sensor 230 and the
second annular ultrasound sensor 210 are positioned so as to
bracket the imaging ultrasound sensor 540 along a length of the
catheter 500.
[0054] While the ultrasound catheter 500 of FIG. 5 is similar to
ultrasound catheter 200 of FIG. 1A, the ultrasound catheter 500
utilizes one or more of the transducer elements of the imaging
ultrasound sensor 540 in positioning determination rather than or
in addition to a directional sensor 220 as with catheter 200. In
this regard, imaging ultrasound sensor 540 may be configured to
operate in at least a positioning mode during which the imaging
ultrasound sensor 540 generates and/or receives a positioning
ultrasound pulse, and an imaging mode during which the imaging
ultrasound sensor 540 generates and/or receives an imaging
ultrasound pulse. The ultrasound catheter 500 may be configured to
have imaging ultrasound sensor 540 only operate in the positioning
mode when the ultrasound catheter 500 is moved or on command by a
user thereof, or may be configured to periodically operate in the
positioning mode for periodic updates of the position.
[0055] The aforementioned technique can be performed by pulsing one
or more single elements individually (e.g., one on each end of a
linear array), by pulsing a plurality of elements together (e.g.,
non-phased), or by forming a directional pulse via phasing the
pulses of each element (which may or may not include directing the
direction pulse at specific positional sensors). Due to the high
frequency of ultrasound and the high scan rate of a linear phased
array ultrasound transducer, periodic localizing pulses may be
transmitted so frequently that the positioning mode appears to be
operating simultaneously with the imaging mode without noticeably
degrading the quality of images.
[0056] The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 eliminates the need for
a directional ultrasound sensor 220. Thus, the present embodiment
benefits from a reduced cost.
[0057] It should be appreciated that the particular frequency of a
given ultrasound sensor for any one of the embodiments shown in
FIGS. 1-6 may be selected based on the precision and penetration
depth required. Thus, for ultrasound sensors positioned outside the
body (e.g., sensors used as extra-body fiducials) a lower frequency
may be selected, in order to achieve a higher degree of penetration
depth. For an ultrasound imaging sensor, such as sensor 240 in FIG.
1A, a higher frequency may be selected, in order to achieve a
higher degree of precision. Thus, particularly for ultrasound
sensors positioned intra-body, higher frequencies are typically
used than for ultrasound sensors positioned outside the body. Other
configurations and methods are also contemplated.
[0058] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the positioning information from any one of the aforementioned
embodiments may be used in control equipment to assist the operator
in positioning and operating an ultrasound imaging catheter.
Specifically, a rectangle or other shape representing the field of
regard of the imaging sensor may be projected onto a 3D (e.g.,
wire-frame, cartoon or stylized) representation of the patient's
heart rendered on a display device to show the operator the portion
of the patient's body that is or will be imaged based upon the
present position and orientation of the sensor. The image generated
by the imaging ultrasound sensor 240, 540 and positional
information may be correlated to heart structures within the 3D
wire-frame image (or stylized image) of an idealized heart using
known image processing techniques. Once the ultrasound image
provided by the ultrasound imaging catheter 200 has been correlated
to heart structures, and the 3D wire-frame image (or stylized
image) has been correlated to those heart structures, the catheter
localizer information and ultrasound image can be applied to the 3D
wire-frame image (or stylized image) to graphically depict the
image including the location of all (or some) catheters within the
heart for easier interpretation by the user. This embodiment
provides the operator with more visual information, and thus a more
easily understood representation of the position of the ultrasound
catheters 200, 500 and the image generated thereby. Specifically, a
3D wire-frame image may be transparent, allowing the operator to
"see" the catheter(s) positions relative to the heart structures.
This may be particularly useful in procedures where catheters are
used to precisely position electrodes on the heart wall based upon
real-time images provided by an intracardiac ultrasound imaging
catheter since the positions of all catheters relative to the heart
are displayed for the physician.
[0059] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the localizer information can be used in conjunction with images
obtained from catheter 200. By way of example, one such process is
described in copending application entitled "Method and Apparatus
for Time Gating of Medical Images", filed currently with the
present application and incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety. Another such process is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7,
and described in greater detail below.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 7, at least one embodiment of the present
invention includes methods of displaying medical images from a
catheter-based imaging sensor having a restricted field of view,
such as a two dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging sensor. In step
710, the imaging sensor is used to generate at least one image
(preferably 2D) of a structure of interest. In step 720, a position
of the imaging sensor is calculated, and then coregistered in step
730 with the at least one image generated in step 710. This may
include, for example, coregistering a section of the structure of
interest (e.g., a heart) with each image generated in step 710.
[0061] In step 740, the at least one generated image of step 710 is
displayed based on the calculated positional information from step
720. By way of example, step 740 may include displaying a 3D model
of the structure of interest, and then highlighting a section of
the 3D model of the structure of interest which corresponds to the
coregistered section of step 730. Preferably, the 3D model is
generally depicted in a first color or colors, and the highlighted
section is depicted in a second color different from the first
color(s). Other configurations are also contemplated.
[0062] The foregoing description of various embodiments of the
invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and
variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be
acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were
chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the
invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in
the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with
various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated.
* * * * *