# US 10,480,936 B2 · Optical shape sensing system and method for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device using backscatter reflectometry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,936 B2 - Document ID: US10480936B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/574,533 - Filed: 2016-06-08 - Published: 2018-05-10 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-15 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Gert Wim 'T Hooft - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480936B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/161: {by interferometric means} - A61B 1/00147: {Holding or positioning arrangements} - A61B 1/00163: {Optical arrangements (A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence)} - A61B 5/065: {Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe} - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61M 25/01: Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters (A61M25/10 takes precedence) - G01B 9/02004: using frequency scans - G01B 9/02027: {Two or more interferometric channels or interferometers} - G01B 11/18: {using photoelastic elements} - G01B 11/2441: {using interferometry} - A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings} - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract Optical shape sensing system using backscatter reflectometry, comprising a broadband light source, an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers configured to perform backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light and including a multi-core optical fiber, and a detector unit for detecting an output light beam, each interferometer comprising a fiber splitter dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam, an additional optical fiber for guiding the reference beam, a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber guiding the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and guiding the reflected device beam, and a fiber coupler for coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam forming the output light beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical shape sensing system for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device using backscatter reflectometry, comprising: a broadband light source for generating input light of multiple wavelengths of a broadband spectrum, an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers including a multi-core optical fiber, the multi-core optical fiber comprising at least two fiber cores, wherein each of the interferometers is configured to perform backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light and comprises: a fiber splitter for dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam, an additional optical fiber for guiding the reference beam, a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber for guiding the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and for guiding the reflected device beam, and a fiber coupler for coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam to form an output light beam, the optical shape sensing system further comprising a spectrometer for receiving and dispersing the output light beam from each interferometer, the spectrometer comprising a detector unit for detecting the output light beam from each interferometer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the broadband light source comprises a super-luminescent light emitting diode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the broadband spectrum comprises a continuous optical band having a bandwidth of at least 20 nm centered at 1550 nm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the broadband spectrum comprises a continuous optical band having a bandwidth of at least 5 nm centered at 800 nm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit comprises a detector array consisting of a plurality of detector elements arranged in an array. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 5, wherein the detector array comprises a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 6, wherein one dimension of the two-dimensional array is used for dispersion of the broadband spectrum, wherein the other dimension of the two-dimensional array is used for distributing different output light signals each originating from one of the cores of the multi-core optical fiber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-core optical fiber comprises a central core arranged in the center of the multi-core optical fiber and at least three outer cores helically wound around the central core. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 8, wherein the outer cores are equidistant from each other in cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit is provided with an integration time between 1 millisecond and 2 milliseconds. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the interferometer arrangement comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer comprising a circulator for directing the device beam to the multi-core optical fiber and to redirect the reflected device beam from the multicore optical fiber to the fiber coupler. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 1, further comprising a polarization controller for polarizing each input light beam into two input polarization states, the polarization controller being arranged between the broadband light source and the interferometer arrangement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) Optical shape sensing system according to claim 12, further comprising a polarizing beamsplitter for splitting the output light beam into two signal portions each in a corresponding one of two output polarization states, the detector unit being configured to detect the two signal portions, the polarizing beamsplitter being arranged between the interferometer arrangement and the detector unit. ### Claim 14 A method for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device using backscatter reflectometry, comprising: generating input light of multiple wavelengths of a broadband spectrum, performing backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light using an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers including a multi-core optical fiber, the multi-core optical fiber comprising at least two fiber cores, wherein the backscatter reflectometry comprises: dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam, using an additional optical fiber to guide the reference beam, using a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber to guide the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and to guide the reflected device beam, and coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam to form an output light beam, the method further comprising receiving and dispersing the output light beam and detecting the output light beam from each of the plurality of interferometers in a spectrometer. ### Claim 15 Non-transient computer program product having encoded thereon a computer program for sensing a position and/or shape of a medical device, the computer program comprising program code means for causing an optical shape sensing system carry out the steps of generating input light of multiple wavelengths of a broadband spectrum, performing backscatter reflectometry separately with a corresponding one of a plurality of input light beams divided from the input light using an interferometer arrangement comprising a plurality of interferometers including a multi-core optical fiber, the multi-core optical fiber comprising at least two fiber cores, wherein the backscatter reflectometry comprises: dividing the corresponding input light beam into a reference beam and a device beam, using an additional optical fiber to guide the reference beam, using a corresponding fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber to guide the device beam to be reflected within the medical device and to guide the reflected device beam, and coupling the reflected device beam with the reference beam to form an output light beam, and receiving and dispersing the output light beam and detecting the output light beam from each of the plurality of interferometers in a spectrometer.