Patent ID: 9055883
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound catheter comprising: a flexible catheter housing defining a proximal end and a distal tip; a transducer array disposed at least partially within the flexible catheter housing; a motor positioned in the flexible catheter housing and coupled with the transducer array, said motor being configured to rotate the transducer array in order to image a three-dimensional volume; a first tracking element adapted to provide an estimate of a position and/or orientation of the distal tip of the flexible catheter housing, said first tracking element confined to the distal tip of the flexible catheter housing and immediately adjacent to the distal tip such that there are no other components disposed between the first tracking element and the distal tip so as to track the position and/or orientation of the distal tip with a high degree of precision despite catheter flex; and a second tracking element disposed within the flexible catheter housing in close proximity to the motor, said second tracking element configured to record a noise signal produced by the motor such that the recorded noise signal can be used to improve the position and/or orientation estimate of the digital tip.