Medical device insertion and exit information using distributed fiber optic temperature sensing

Abstract

A system, device and method include a sensing enabled device having an optical fiber configured to perform distributed sensing of temperature-induced strain. An interpretation module is configured to receive optical signals from the optical fiber within a body and interpret the optical signals to determine one or more temperatures or temperature gradients of the device.

Having thus described the details and particularity required by the patent laws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a sensing enabled device having at least one optical fiber configured to perform distributed sensing of temperature-induced strain; and   an interpretation module configured to receive optical signals from the at least one optical fiber within a body and interpret the optical signals to determine at least one temperature gradient of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing enabled device is configured to perform shape sensing of the device and to sense temperature-induced strain. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing enabled device includes an elongated medical device. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing enabled device includes a first portion having a first temperature and a second portion having a second temperature, the interpretation module being configured to determine a transition point between the first portion and the second portion. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the first portion is internal to a body and the second portion is external to the body and the transition point includes a point of entry in the body. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing enabled device includes four or more optical fibers configured with three or more optical fibers surrounding a central optical fiber such that the surrounding optical fibers measure geometric strain and the central optical fiber measures the temperature-induced strain. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an image generation module configured to receive the at least one temperature gradient of the device and register an image to the at least one temperature or temperature gradient. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A workstation, comprising:
 a medical instrument including a sensing device having at least one optical fiber and configured to perform distributed sensing of temperature-induced strain;   a processor;   memory coupled to the processor and having an interpretation module stored therein and configured to receive optical signals from the at least one optical fiber within a subject and interpret the optical signals to determine at least one temperature gradient of the device; and   a display coupled to the processor and configured to display temperature and/or temperature gradient information relative to the subject.   
     
     
         13 . The workstation as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the sensing device is configured to perform shape sensing of the medical instrument and to sense temperature-induced strain. 
     
     
         14 . The workstation as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the medical device includes an elongated device. 
     
     
         15 . The workstation as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the sensing device includes a first portion having a first temperature and a second portion having a second temperature and the interpretation module is configured to determine a transition point between the first portion and the second portion. 
     
     
         16 . The workstation as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the first portion is internal to a body and the second portion is external to the body and the transition point includes a point of entry in the body. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method, comprising:
 collecting strain data from a fiber optic strain sensing device disposed within at least two different temperature regions;   determining at least one temperature gradient over the at least two different temperature regions from the strain data;   determining a temperature transition point between the at least two different temperature regions based on the strain data; and   locating the transition point relative to a medical device to find a specific reference location.   
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the sensing device includes a first portion having a first temperature and a second portion having a second temperature and the first portion is internal to a body and the second portion is external to the body and the transition point includes a point of entry in the body. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising measuring geometric strain and temperature-induced strain. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled)