Patent ID: 8290571
Filing Date: 2012-10-16
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A localized medical instrument system, comprising: a. an elongate medical instrument having a distal tip; b. a reference medical instrument having a distal tip and a distal portion proximal to the distal tip; c. a localization system comprising a localization controller and one or more discrete localization sensors, the localization controller configured to output spatial positional information regarding the one or more localization sensors; d. a fiber Bragg shape sensing system comprising a Bragg controller and one or more shape sensing Bragg fibers having one or more Bragg gratings distributed thereon, the Bragg controller configured to output shape data; and e. a system controller operatively coupled to the localization controller and Bragg controller; wherein one or more localization sensors are coupled to the elongate medical instrument and operatively coupled to the localization controller; wherein one or more localization sensors are coupled to different known longitudinal positions along the distal portion of the reference medical instrument and operatively coupled to the localization controller; wherein the one or more shape sensing Bragg fibers are coupled to the reference medical instrument and operatively coupled to the Bragg controller; and wherein subsequent to an initial calibration of the localization system using localization sensor spatial positions on the elongate medical instrument relative to those on reference medical instrument, and of the localization sensor spatial positions on the reference medical instrument relative to the Bragg controller shape data, the system controller is configured to operate the localization controller to determine the position of the elongate medical instrument utilizing the one or more localization sensors coupled to the elongate medical instrument and the reference medical instrument, and to automatically recalibrate the localization system based upon changes in position or shape of the reference medical instrument detected by the localization and shape sensing systems.