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Publication Number
US-12296117-B2
Publication Date
2025-05-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
A steerable catheter system is disclosed. The system includes a steerable catheter including a handle and a steerable elongated body. The handle includes user inputs for image space control commands for articulating the elongated body with respect to a plane of a medical image. The elongated body includes pose determination features that allow determination of a roll angle of the elongated body. The system also includes a control unit that receives the image space control commands, determines the roll angle of the elongated body based on the pose determination features, translates the image space control commands into pullwire commands based on the roll angle, and transmits the pullwire commands to the steerable catheter, whereby the elongated body is articulated according to the pullwire commands.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a manually-controlled steerable catheter system configured for image space control. A user holds a handle and uses one or more user inputs to provide image space control commands for articulating a steerable elongated body with respect to a plane of a medical image that includes a view of a distal portion of the elongated body.
The distal portion of the elongated body includes one or more pose determination features configured to allow determination of at least a roll angle of the distal portion. A control unit receives the image space control commands, determines the roll angle based on the pose determination features, and translates the image space control commands into pullwire commands based on the roll angle.
The pose determination features can be implemented using radio-opaque fiducials for determining roll angle based on a two-dimensional appearance of the fiducials in a medical image. Alternatively, the pose determination features can include an electromagnetic sensor or a Fiber Bragg grating sensor for determining the roll angle.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is clm-00001. It contains 3 core inventive features centered on image-space control, roll-angle determination from pose determination features, and translation into pullwire commands.
Image space control of a manually-controlled steerable catheter
A manually-controlled steerable catheter system configured for image space control, in which a handle with one or more user inputs allows a user to provide image space control commands for articulating a steerable elongated body with respect to a plane of a medical image that includes a view of a distal portion of the elongated body.
Roll-angle determination from pose determination features
The elongated body includes one or more pose determination features configured to determine at least a roll angle of the distal portion.
Translate image-space commands into pullwire commands using the roll angle
A control unit receives the image space control commands, determines the roll angle based on the pose determination features, translates the image space control commands into pullwire commands based on the roll angle, and transmits the pullwire commands to articulate the elongated body accordingly.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on receiving image-space commands tied to a medical image plane, determining at least the distal roll angle using pose determination features, and translating the commands into pullwire commands based on the roll angle to articulate the catheter.
Stated Advantages
Intuitive navigation.
Reduced x-ray exposure.
Faster procedures.
Reduced vessel trauma.
Documented Applications
x-ray-guided endovascular and other fluoroscopic procedures using image space control relative to a medical image plane.
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