US 9,810,528 B2 · Optical shape sensing with a plurality of optical fibers

Abstract

An optical shape sensing system and method with at least two optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2) both comprising optical shape sensing elements. A processor (P) is arranged to register a coordinate system indicative of a position of one of the optical fibers (OSF1) in space, and to register a position (R2) of the other optical fiber (OSF2) in relation to this coordinate system. An optical console system (C, C1, C2) serves to interrogate the optical shape sensing elements in both optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2), and to accordingly determine a measure of a three-dimensional shape (I) of both optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2), based on the registered position (R2) of the second optical fiber (OSF2) in relation to the coordinate system. This provide the possibility of providing 3D optical shape sensing of the length of both optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2), thus allowing 3D shape reconstruction of e.g. long medical devices with lengths of several meters. More than two shape sensing optical fibers, e.g. incorporated in separate devices, can be registered in this manner in a hierarchical data structure, thus allowing shape sensing of very long instruments.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An optical shape sensing system comprising

a first optical fiber (OSF1) comprising optical shape sensing elements,
a second optical fiber (OSF2) comprising optical shape sensing elements,
a processor (P) arranged to register a first coordinate system indicative of a position of the first optical fiber (OSF1) in space, and to register a position (R2) of the second optical fiber (OSF2) in relation to the first coordinate system, and
an optical console system (C, C1, C2) arranged for interrogating the optical shape sensing elements in both of the first and second optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2), and to accordingly determine a measure of a three-dimensional shape (I) of at least parts of both of the first and second optical fibers (OSF1, OSF2), based on the registered position (R2) of the second optical fiber (OSF2) in relation to the first coordinate system,
characterized in that
the first optical fiber (OSF1) and the second optical fiber (OSF2) are mechanically concatenated so that the second optical fiber (OSF2) serves to extend an effective length of the first optical fiber (OSF1) or to improve accuracy of a three-dimensional shape reconstruction of the first optical fiber (OSF1), and
the processor (P) is arranged to register a position in space (R2) and an orientation of a proximal part of the second optical fiber (OSF2) in relation to the first coordinate system.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical shape sensing with a plurality of optical fibers

Life of this patent

Optical shape sensing with a plurality of optical fibers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12