Simultaneous sensor tracking in medical interventions

A method for simultaneously tracking multiple sensors in a medical intervention, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a first passive ultrasound sensor, a first signal with first sensor information indicative of a location of the first passive ultrasound sensor;
• receiving, from a second passive ultrasound sensor, a second signal with second sensor information indicative of a location of the second passive ultrasound sensor;
• combining the first signal and the second signal into a combined signal for transmission over one and only one channel;
• performing a signal modification with respect to at least one of the first signal and the second signal that enables identification of the first signal and the second signal in the combined signal;
• transmitting the combined signal over the one and only one channel to a tracking system configured to track the first interventional medical device and the second interventional medical device;
• and
• determining, by the tracking system, the location of the first passive ultrasound sensor and the location of the second passive ultrasound sensor from the combined signal based on the signal modification.

A system for simultaneously tracking multiple sensors in a medical intervention, the system comprising:

• an ultrasound probe configured to emit ultrasound beams in the medical intervention;
• a first interventional medical device having a first passive ultrasound sensor configured to detect the ultrasound beams emitted from the ultrasound probe and generate, based on the ultrasound beams, a first signal with first sensor information indicative of a location of the first passive ultrasound sensor;
• a second interventional medical device having a second passive ultrasound sensor configured to detect the ultrasound beams emitted from the ultrasound probe and generate, based on the ultrasound beams, a second signal with first sensor information indicative of a location of the second passive ultrasound sensor;
• and
• a controller comprising a circuit configured to:
• receive, from the first passive ultrasound sensor, the first signal with the first sensor information indicative of the location of the first passive ultrasound sensor,
• receive, from the second passive ultrasound sensor, a second signal with the second sensor information indicative of the location of the second passive ultrasound sensor,
• combine the first signal and the second signal into a combined signals for transmission over one and only one channel, and
• perform a signal modification with respect to at least one of the first signal and the second signal that enables identification of the first signal and the second signal in the combined signal;
• and
• a tracking device configured to track the first interventional medical device and the second interventional medical device, the tracking device having only the one and only one channel and configured to:
• receive the combined signal over the one and only one channel from the controller, and
• determine the location of the first passive ultrasound sensor and the location of the second passive ultrasound sensor from the combined signal based on the signal modification.