US 12,702,321 B2 · System and method of sensing catheters location and force

Abstract

A position sensor for measuring signals indicative of location and/or orientation a catheter's distal end, and a method of fabrication thereof are disclosed. The position sensor includes a flexible circuit board (FCB) and at least three surface mount coil devices (SMD coils) arranged thereon for sensing different aspects of one or more magnetic fields, which are indicative of the location and/or orientation of the catheters distal end. The FCB is furnished at the sensor in folded/rolled state such that the magnetic flux axes of at least three of the SMD coils are not co-planar to thereby enable utilizing signals measured thereby determine the at least one of the orientation and location of the sensor relative to one or more magnetic field sources.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A position sensor adapted to measure signals indicative of at least one of a location and orientation of the sensor, comprising:

a circuit board;
and
at least three coils located on said circuit board and arranged for sensing different aspects of an external magnetic field, which are indicative of at least one of a location and orientation of the sensor relative to one or more magnetic field sources;
characterized in that:
said circuit board is a flexible circuit board (FCB), and said at least three coils are at least three surface mount coil devices (SMD coils) mounted on the FCB via surface mount technology (SMT), each SMD coil comprising a core and a coil;
and
wherein said FCB is furnished at the sensor in a folded/rolled state such that magnetic flux axes of at least three of the SMD coils mounted on the surface of the FCB are not co-planar, thereby generating a plurality of signals from said at least three SMD coils, the plurality of signals being indicative of at least one of the orientation and location of the sensor relative to one or more magnetic field sources.

4 more elements

A method to fabricate a magnetic position sensor suitable for use in a medical instrument comprising:

providing a flexible circuit board (FCB);
providing at least three surface mount coil devices (SMD coils), each SMD coil comprising a core and a coil;
mounting the at least three SMD coils on said FCB via surface mount technology (SMT);
folding said FCB with said at least three SMD coils into tubular form whereby said folding is carried out such that a magnetic axes of each of said at least three SMD coils are not coplanar with respect to one another, such that magnetic fields sensed by said at least three SMD coils from one or more magnetic field sources are indicative of at least one of a location and orientation of the sensor relative to said sources.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method of sensing catheters location and force

Life of this patent

System and method of sensing catheters location and force

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21