Tracking a sensor that includes a ferrofluid
AssigneeNorthern Digital Inc.
InventorNikolai Mikuszeit
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system comprising: one or more field generating coils configured to generate a magnetic field; a sensor comprising a shell that contains a ferrofluid, the sensor configured to be introduced in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the ferrofluid causes distortion of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and one or more field measuring coils configured to: measure a characteristic of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and provide, to a computing device, a signal representative of the measured characteristic of the magnetic field, wherein the computing device is configured to determine one or both of a position and an orientation of the sensor based on the measured characteristic of the magnetic field.
Claims18
A system comprising:
- one or more field generating coils configured to generate a magnetic field;
- a sensor having a three-dimensional orthogonal geometry and an oval-shaped cross-section in at least two dimensions of the sensor, the sensor comprising a shell that contains a ferrofluid, wherein the shell is configured to be introduced into a patient's body and the shell is configured to receive a ferrofluid injection after being introduced into the patient's body, the sensor configured to be introduced in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the ferrofluid causes distortion of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field;
- and
- one or more field measuring coils configured to:
- measure a characteristic of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field;
- and
- provide, to a computing device, a signal representative of the measured characteristic of the magnetic field,
- wherein the computing device is configured to determine a position and an orientation of the sensor based on the measured characteristic of the magnetic field by comparing a characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is not in proximity to the magnetic field and the characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field.
A wireless sensor configured for use in an electromagnetic tracking system, the wireless sensor comprising:
- a shell that contains a ferrofluid, wherein the shell is configured to be introduced into a patient's body and the shell is configured to receive a ferrofluid injection after being introduced into the patient's body, wherein the sensor is configured to be introduced in proximity to a generated magnetic field and cause distortion of the generated magnetic field, wherein characteristics of the distortion are representative of a position and an orientation of the sensor, wherein the position and orientation of the sensor are determined by comparing a characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is not in proximity to the magnetic field and a characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field, and
- wherein the wireless sensor has a three-dimensional orthogonal geometry and an oval-shaped cross-section in at least two dimensions of the sensor.
A method comprising:
- causing a magnetic field to be generated;
- introducing a sensor comprising a shell that contains a ferrofluid in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the shell is configured to be introduced into a patient's body and the shell is configured to receive a ferrofluid injection after being introduced into the patient's body, wherein the ferrofluid causes distortion of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the sensor has a three-dimensional geometry and an oval-shaped cross-section in at least two dimensions of the sensor;
- receiving, from one or more field measuring coils, a signal representative of a characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field;
- and
- determining a position and an orientation of the sensor based on the measured characteristic of the magnetic field by comparing a characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is not in proximity to the magnetic field and the characteristic of the magnetic field measured when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.