Optical fiber instrument system for dynamic recalibration

Abstract

An instrument system that includes an elongate body, an optical fiber and a controller is provided. The optical fiber is at least partially separate from the elongate body. The controller is operatively coupled to the elongate body and to the optical fiber and the controller is adapted to receive a signal from the optical fiber, detect movement of the optical fiber based on the signal; and update a position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber based on the detected movement.

1 . An instrument system, comprising:
 an elongate body;   an optical fiber at least partially separate from the elongate body;   a controller operatively coupled to the elongate body and to the optical fiber and adapted to:   receive a signal from the optical fiber;   detect movement of the optical fiber based on the signal; and   update a position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber based on the detected movement.   
     
     
         2 . The instrument system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber has a strain sensor and a localization sensor provided thereon, and wherein the controller is adapted to receive the signal from the strain sensor, to receive another signal from the localization sensor, and to update the position of the elongate body based on the another signal. 
     
     
         3 . The instrument system of  claim 2 , wherein the localization sensor comprises a potential difference sensor or an electromagnetic sensor, wherein the strain sensor comprises a bragg grating, and wherein the controller is adapted to update the position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber further based on the signal from the strain sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The instrument system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate body and the optical fiber are adapted to be located inside a patient. 
     
     
         5 . The instrument system of  claim 4 , wherein a portion of the optical fiber is coupled to the elongate body and another portion of the optical fiber branches away from the elongate body, wherein the another portion of the optical fiber is adapted to be located in a structure inside the patient and the elongate body is adapted to be located outside the structure. 
     
     
         6 . The instrument system of  claim 5 , wherein the structure comprises a coronary sinus cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The instrument system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to update the position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber by updating a spatial relationship between the elongate body and the optical fiber. 
     
     
         8 . The instrument system of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is adapted to update the spatial relationship by updating a transformation matrix. 
     
     
         9 . The instrument system of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is adapted to determine movement of the optical fiber further by buffering a position of the optical fiber over time and by determining whether a change in the buffered position exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The instrument system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate body comprises a catheter having a tool provided on a distal tip of the catheter, and wherein the controller is adapted to update the position of the elongate body by updating a position of the distal tip. 
     
     
         11 . A method for tracking an elongate body, comprising:
 receiving a signal from an optical fiber that is at least partially separate from an elongate body;   detecting movement of the optical fiber based on the signal; and   updating a position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber based on the detected movement.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the optical fiber has a strain sensor and a localization sensor provided thereon, wherein receiving the signal comprises receiving a signal from the strain sensor, the method further comprising receiving another signal from the localization sensor, wherein updating the position of the elongate body is based on the another signal. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the localization sensor comprises a potential difference sensor or an electromagnetic sensor, wherein the strain sensor comprises a bragg grating, and wherein the updating the position of the elongate body is further based on the signal from the strain sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elongate body and the optical fiber are adapted to be located inside a patient. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a portion of the optical fiber is coupled to the elongate body and another portion of the optical fiber branches away from the elongate body, wherein the another portion of the optical fiber is adapted to be located in a structure inside the patient and the elongate body is adapted to be located outside the structure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the structure comprises a coronary sinus cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the updating the position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber comprises updating a spatial relationship between the elongate body and the optical fiber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the updating the spatial relationship comprises updating a transformation matrix. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the detecting movement of the optical fiber further comprises buffering a position of the optical fiber over time and by determining whether a change in the buffered position exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elongate body comprises a catheter having a tool provided on a distal tip of the catheter, and wherein the updating the position of the elongate body comprises updating a position of the distal tip. 
     
     
         21 . A method for maintaining calibration of a medical device localization system, comprising:
 a. establishing a baseline calibration between the positions of one or more localization sensors coupled to an elongate medical instrument and one or more localization sensors coupled to a nearby reference medical instrument at known longitudinal positions along the instrument; and   b. detecting repositioning of the reference medical instrument utilizing an optical fiber shape sensing system coupled to the reference medical instrument.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising notifying an operator of the elongate medical instrument that a recalibration is required. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising stopping any automated motion associated with the elongate medical instrument. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein detecting repositioning comprises saving in a buffer a predetermined amount of data pertinent to the positioning of the reference medical instrument and comparing such buffer data to newly determined positioning data. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising automatically recalibrating the positions of the one or more localization sensors coupled to an elongate medical instrument and the one or more localization sensors coupled to a nearby reference medical instrument based upon changes in position or shape of the reference medical instrument detected by the localization and shape sensing systems. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising positioning the elongate medical instrument adjacent targeted tissue structures, and positioning the reference medical instrument nearby in a substantially more constrained position relative to nearby anatomy, to prevent substantial motion of the reference medical instrument. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the elongate medical instrument is placed within one of the chambers of the heart. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the reference medical instrument is placed within the coronary sinus of the heart. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising retracting and repeating positioning the reference medical instrument nearby in the substantially more constrained position relative to nearby anatomy, to gather additional data regarding the shape of the anatomy.