Medical instrument with component movement tracking and real-time position sensing

A medical instrument, comprising:

• a body comprising a lumen;
• a guidewire extending through the lumen and having a position sensor;
• a working element that movably coupled to the body and translatable along the guidewire;
• and
• a movement tracker comprising a first component configured to move with the working element and a second component configured to move with at least one of the body or the guidewire,
• wherein the first component overlaps the second component with a degree of overlap that varies based on the movement of the working element relative to at least one of the body or the guidewire,
• wherein the tracker is configured to provide a signal, the signal being directly related to the degree of overlap.

A method for using a medical instrument with real-time position sensing, the method comprising:

• inserting a shaft assembly of the medical instrument into a patient, wherein the shaft assembly extends distally from a body of the medical instrument;
• advancing a guidewire through the body and the shaft assembly, wherein the guidewire has a position sensor configured to provide a signal indicating a real-time position of the guidewire in three-dimensional space;
• translating a working element distally along the guidewire;
• and
• in response to translating the working element, causing a movement tracker to provide a signal indicating movement of the working element relative to at least one of the body or the guidewire.