Automatic Catheter Navigation via 3D Position Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for guiding catheters through body lumens are cumbersome and lack precision, relying on manual manipulation and two-dimensional imaging, which can be inefficient and prone to errors, especially in navigating complex vascular structures.
Innovation Solution
A system that employs a medical positioning system with a position detector on the catheter tip, coupled with a controller and moving mechanism, to automatically maneuver the catheter to a predetermined location within the lumen system using a preplanned three-dimensional path and real-time feedback, allowing for automatic correction and override to manual control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual manipulation and two-dimensional imaging are used to guide catheters, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the precision and accuracy of catheter placement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation of the catheter with an automated robotic system. The robotic catheter manipulation system uses computer-controlled mechanisms to precisely position and navigate the catheter through body lumens, substituting the operator's manual dexterity with automated mechanical control for improved placement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a robotic manipulator as an intermediary device between the operator and the catheter. This robotic system acts as a mediator that receives high-level commands from the operator and translates them into precise catheter movements, enabling accurate three-dimensional navigation while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive control interfaces.
2Productivity
If manual manipulation methods are used, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity and efficiency of catheter guidance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic catheter manipulation system incorporates self-servicing capabilities through automated tracking and navigation functions. The system automatically tracks the catheter position using imaging systems and autonomously adjusts its movements to follow the preplanned path, reducing the operator's workload and improving guidance efficiency without requiring constant manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements real-time feedback mechanisms where the robotic system continuously monitors catheter position through integrated imaging systems and adjusts its movements accordingly. This closed-loop control provides immediate feedback to the operator about catheter location and navigation progress, enabling more efficient and accurate catheter guidance compared to manual methods.
3Measurement precision
If two-dimensional imaging is used for guidance, then the system complexity is low, but the measurement precision and navigation accuracy in three-dimensional spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional imaging to three-dimensional positioning and navigation. The robotic system uses multiple imaging planes and stereo imaging techniques to reconstruct three-dimensional anatomical structures and catheter positions, enabling accurate spatial navigation in three dimensions rather than relying on flat two-dimensional projections.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system in the patent serves multiple functions: it provides real-time visualization of anatomical structures, tracks catheter position in three dimensions, guides robotic manipulator movements, and displays navigation information to the operator. This multi-functional imaging system improves measurement precision while consolidating various functions into a single integrated platform.
Data Source
AI summary
System for guiding a catheter through a lumen system of a body of a patient, to a predetermined location within the lumen system, the system including a medical positioning system, a moving mechanism coupled with the catheter, and a controller coupled with the medical positioning system and with the moving mechanism, the medical positioning system including at least one position detector, the position detector being firmly attached to a distal portion of the catheter, the medical positioning system determining the position of the position detector, the controller controlling the operation of the moving mechanism to move the catheter to the predetermined location, according to the position and according to a topological representation of at least a portion of the lumen system.