Methods and apparatus to determine a shape of an optical fiber sensor
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsMark E. Froggatt, Justin W. Klein, Dawn K. Gifford, Stephen T. Kreger
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Abstract
To sense the shape of a multicore optical fiber sensor, light reflected in a center and two or more helixed outer cores of the optical fiber sensor is measured, and phases associated with strain in the center and helixed outer cores is tracked along the length of the fiber sensor. Further, a wobble signal indicative of a variation in the spin rate of the fiber sensor is determined. Based on the tracked phases and the wobble signal, the fiber shape is computed.
Claims20
A shape-sensing method for an optical fiber sensor, the optical fiber sensor comprising a center core and two or more helixed outer cores, the method comprising:
- measuring light reflected in the center core and the two or more helixed outer cores of the optical fiber sensor to track phases associated with strain in the center core and the two or more helixed outer cores along a length of the optical fiber sensor;
- determining a wobble signal indicative of a variation in spin rate of the two or more helixed outer cores along the length of the optical fiber sensor;
- and
- computing a shape of the optical fiber sensor based at least in part on the tracked phases and the determined wobble signal.
A system for measuring a shape of an optical fiber sensor that comprises a center core and two or more helixed outer cores, the system comprising:
- interferometers configured to measure light reflected in the center core and the two or more helixed outer cores of the optical fiber sensor;
- and
- a system controller and data processor configured to:
- process the light to track phases associated with strain in the center core and the two or more helixed outer cores along a length of the optical fiber sensor;
- determine a wobble signal indicative of a variation in spin rate of the two or more helixed outer cores along the length of the optical fiber sensor;
- and
- compute a shape of the optical fiber sensor based at least in part on the tracked phases and the determined wobble signal.
A computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions for determining a shape of an optical fiber sensor by processing tracked phases, the optical fiber sensor comprising a center core and two or more helixed outer cores, and the tracked phases being associated with strains in the center core and the two or more helixed outer cores, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
- determining a wobble signal indicative of a variation in spin rate of the two or more helixed outer cores along a length of the optical fiber sensor;
- and
- computing a shape of the optical fiber sensor based at least in part on the tracked phases and the determined wobble signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.