Permanent Magnet Localization in Invasive Catheters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current in-body localization systems for medical devices, such as fluoroscopy, provide incomplete 3D position and orientation information and expose patients and medical teams to harmful ionizing radiation, while magnetic systems face challenges with size constraints and accuracy, achieving only 1-2 mm positional accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system using one or more permanent magnets integrated into medical devices and a planar array of 3D magnetometer sensors outside the body, allowing for accurate 3D position and orientation estimation without radiating coils or drive circuitry, enabling flexible device placement and reducing radiation exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fluoroscopy is used for localization, then position information can be obtained, but harmful ionizing radiation is exposed to patients and medical teams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fluoroscopy-based localization system with a magnetic field-based system. Instead of using X-rays and imaging equipment, the invention uses permanent magnets attached to medical devices and magnetic field sensors to detect position and orientation, thereby eliminating ionizing radiation exposure while providing continuous 3D localization data
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces permanent magnets as intermediary objects that carry position and orientation information. These magnets interact with external magnetic field sensors to transmit localization data without requiring direct line-of-sight imaging or radiation, serving as a non-invasive mediator between the medical device and the localization system
2Object-affected harmful factors
If magnetic systems are used for localization, then radiation exposure is reduced, but positional accuracy is limited to 1-2 mm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances magnetic localization accuracy by transitioning from 2D sensor arrays to 3D volumetric sensor distributions. By adding the third spatial dimension to the sensor configuration, the system achieves sub-millimeter precision in all three dimensions (x, y, z) and can simultaneously determine orientation, overcoming the 1-2 mm accuracy limitation of conventional magnetic systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent improves measurement precision by optimizing multiple parameters including magnet size and placement, sensor spacing and configuration, and signal processing algorithms. By systematically adjusting these parameters, the system achieves sub-millimeter accuracy while maintaining the benefits of non-radiative magnetic field-based localization
3Measurement precision
If fluoroscopy is used, then position information is obtained, but 3D position and orientation information is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal localization system that simultaneously provides complete 3D position (x, y, z coordinates) and orientation (roll, pitch, yaw angles) information through a single magnetic field measurement framework. The system can track multiple devices with different magnet configurations using the same sensor array and processing algorithms, achieving multi-functional capability
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
This solution provides accurate 3D position and orientation information with <0.3 mm accuracy at a high data rate, allowing unrestricted access to patients and significantly reducing radiation exposure for both patients and medical teams.
Implementation Method 1
one or more permanent magnets incorporated into the invasive medical device, a plurality of magnetic field sensors arranged in a specific topology separate from the invasive medical device, the plurality of magnetic field sensors configured to obtain a plurality of magnetic field measurements of the one or more permanent magnets
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and devices for estimating the position and orientation of an invasive surgical devices, for example, a catheter guidewire or endoscope, surgical catheter, or self-guided electrophysiology catheter, relative to a reference frame, are described. An example system comprises one or more permanent magnets mounted on the surgical device, a plurality of magnetometer sensors at fixed location providing a reference frame that are configured to perform magnetic field measurements of the direct current superposition field of the permanent magnets, and computational means for receiving the input signals and calculating the position and orientation of the permanent magnets mounted on the surgical device.