OCT Sensor Catheter for Tissue Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive medical procedures face challenges in accurately navigating medical instruments to avoid sensitive tissues like blood vessels and pulmonary pleura during robotic surgeries, as existing sensing systems provide limited real-time, high-quality imaging for precise tissue location.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an optical coherence tomographic (OCT) sensor with a flexible catheter and control system that profiles tissue, determines the distance between the instrument and sensitive tissues, and provides alerts or commands to adjust the instrument's motion to prevent contact, using OCT imaging data to enhance navigation and avoid sensitive tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing sensing systems are used for navigation, then the procedure can be performed, but the imaging quality and real-time tissue location capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the OCT sensor with the elongate instrument to create an integrated sensing system. The OCT sensor is coupled directly to the elongate instrument, allowing high-resolution tissue imaging and distance measurement capabilities to be embedded within the navigation system itself, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring separate complex sensing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or less advanced sensing systems with optical coherence tomography technology. The OCT sensor uses optical principles to measure tissue distance and characteristics, providing superior real-time imaging quality and measurement precision compared to conventional mechanical sensing approaches
2Productivity
If the elongate instrument is advanced quickly to reach target tissue, then productivity is improved, but the risk of contacting sensitive tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the OCT sensor continuously measures the distance between the elongate instrument and surrounding tissues in real-time. The control system receives this sensor data and provides feedback to adjust the advancement speed, automatically slowing down or stopping when sensitive tissues are detected nearby, thus maintaining both high productivity and procedural safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of sensitive tissues using OCT imaging before the elongate instrument reaches them. By identifying sensitive tissues in advance and predicting potential contact points, the control system can take preventive actions such as adjusting the advancement rate or altering the navigation path before dangerous contact occurs
3Loss of information
If real-time OCT sensing is implemented, then tissue profiling capability is improved, but the system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is pre-configured with tissue profiles and characteristics that are stored in advance. As the OCT sensor collects raw tissue data in real-time, the pre-programmed tissue profiles enable immediate comparison and identification, reducing the computational burden during the procedure and simplifying the real-time processing requirements while maintaining high tissue information quality
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
The system enables more accurate and safe minimally invasive procedures by providing real-time, high-resolution imaging for precise tissue localization, reducing the risk of instrument contact with sensitive tissues and improving procedural accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
an optical coherence tomographic sensor coupled to the elongate instrument
Implementation Method 2
receive sensor data from the optical coherence tomographic sensor, profile a tissue based on the received sensor data
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing a minimally invasive procedure comprises a flexible catheter with a lumen extending therethrough. The system also comprises an elongate instrument sized for passage through the lumen and an optical coherence tomographic sensor coupled to the elongate instrument. The system also comprises a control system that includes one or more processors. The control system is configured to receive sensor data from the optical coherence tomographic sensor, profile a tissue based on the received sensor data, generate an output signal based on the profiled tissue, and based on receipt of the output signal, generate a command to indicate or affect movement of the elongate instrument.