Fiber Bragg Grating Breath-Hold Monitoring for Respiratory Gating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory motion management techniques for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic procedures, such as CT scans and radiotherapy, are inadequate due to issues like patient discomfort, image distortion, added radiation dose, and the need for direct line of sight, making them ineffective for compensating for dynamic body changes.
Innovation Solution
The use of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) embedded on the body to detect shifts in Bragg wavelengths, generating a respiratory gating signal for real-time compensation of body deformation and motion, allowing for controlled interactions like image acquisition and therapy without distortion or unnecessary radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If breath hold CT scans are used to complete the scan quickly, then image acquisition speed is improved, but radiation dose increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of breath-hold state using FBG sensors before initiating the scan. By detecting the respiratory phase and confirming breath-hold status in advance, the system can trigger the scan at the optimal moment, eliminating the need for prolonged high-speed scanning and thereby reducing radiation dose while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors respiratory motion using FBG sensors and provides real-time feedback on breath-hold compliance. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt scan timing to actual patient breathing patterns, optimizing the balance between scan speed and radiation exposure by scanning only when breath-hold is properly maintained
2Measurement precision
If optical techniques with physical markers or reflectors are used, then respiratory motion detection is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to bare body requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces optical reflection-based detection with FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) sensor technology. FBG sensors are embedded in clothing or skin adhesives and directly measure strain and motion mechanically through fiber optic properties, eliminating the need for physical markers on bare skin while maintaining high measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary medium (FBG sensors embedded in clothing or adhesive layers) between the patient's skin and the detection system. This intermediary allows accurate respiratory motion detection without requiring the patient to be bare-bodied, as the sensors can be placed on or near the skin through comfortable clothing or medical-grade adhesives
3Measurement precision
If optical scanning techniques or thermal scanners are used, then respiratory motion tracking is improved, but implementation difficulty increases due to line of sight requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces line-of-sight-dependent optical scanning and thermal imaging with FBG sensor technology that measures respiratory motion through direct mechanical coupling. The fiber optic sensors detect strain and displacement caused by breathing through the clothing or adhesive layer, eliminating the need for complex optical paths and direct line of sight to the patient
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from external optical field-based detection (requiring line of sight in 3D space) to embedded sensor-based detection through the clothing/adhesive dimension. By placing sensors in direct contact with or near the patient's body through the intermediary of clothing, the system measures respiratory motion through a different dimensional approach that does not require line of sight
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate image reconstruction and targeted treatment delivery by compensating for respiratory motion, reducing patient discomfort and radiation dose, and maintaining image quality and treatment efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a change along at least one optical fiber of the sensing device caused by dynamic changes associated with the body
Data Source
AI summary
A method for compensating for dynamic changes in a body of a patient during a controlled interaction with the body includes acquiring data from at least one sensing device disposed on the body and detecting a change along at least one optical fiber of the sensing device caused by dynamic changes associated with the body during the controlled interaction. A respiratory gating signal is generated based on the change along the at least one optical fiber of the sensing device measured over time. The method further comprises controlling relative movement between the body and an interactive device in response to the respiratory gating signal to compensate for the dynamic changes associated with the body during the controlled interaction.