Electricity: measuring and testing – Magnetic – Calibration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-08
2002-01-01
Snow, Walter E. (Department: 2862)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Magnetic
Calibration
C324S247000, C702S085000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06335617
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for generating and detecting electromagnetic fields, and specifically to non-contact, electromagnetic methods and devices for tracking the position and orientation of an object.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Non-contact electromagnetic tracking systems are well known in the art, with a wide range of applications.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,881, incorporated herein by reference, describes a tracking system using three coils to generate electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the object. The fields generated by these three coils are distinguished from one another by open loop multiplexing of time, frequency or phase. The signal currents flowing in three orthogonal sensor coils are used to determine the object's position, based on an iterative method of computation.
Other electromagnetic tracking systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,644,825, 3,868,565, 4,017,858 and 4,849,692, whose disclosures are likewise incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,199, to Ben-Haim, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for generating three-dimensional location information regarding a medical probe or catheter. A sensor coil is placed in the catheter and generates signals in response to externally applied magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are generated by three radiator coils, fixed to an external reference frame in known, mutually spaced locations. The amplitudes of the signals generated in response to each of the radiator coil fields are detected and used to compute the location of the sensor coil. Each radiator coil is preferably driven by driver circuitry to generate a field at a known frequency, distinct from that of other radiator coils, so that the signals generated by the sensor coil may be separated by frequency into components corresponding to the different radiator coils.
PCT patent publication No. WO96/05768, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system that generates six-dimensional position and orientation information regarding the tip of a catheter. This system uses a plurality of non-concentric sensor coils adjacent to a locatable site in the catheter, for example near its distal end, and a plurality of radiator coils fixed in an external reference frame. The sensor coils generate signals in response to magnetic fields generated by the radiator coils, which signals allow for the computation of six location and orientation coordinates.
Radiator coils with cores are known in position sensing systems. The cores increase the field output of the coils, but they tend to distort the fields, and therefore reduce the accuracy of position detection. The theory of magnetic fields generated by radiator coils with cores is known in the art, as described, for example, by John David Jackson in
Classical Electrodynamics,
Second Edition (1975), pages 168-208, which is incorporated herein by reference. In practice, however, it is difficult to derive a theoretical model that will accurately predict the magnetic field generated by a coil with a core.
Ferrite cores are advantageous, because they have both high magnetic permeability (&mgr;) and high resistivity (&rgr;). Due to the high resistivity, the cores can be used with a time-varying (AC) magnetic field without inducing eddy currents in the cores, which further distort and complicate the magnetic field. The Polhemus position-sensing system, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,858, uses such ferrite cores in its (AC) radiators. Ferrite materials are relatively expensive and fragile, however, making them impractical and uneconomic for use in sizes over about 5 cm in diameter.
Soft iron cores are also effective in increasing magnetic field output of a coil, but they cause serious distortion of AC magnetic fields due to eddy currents generated in the core by the coil. The Ascension position-sensing system, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,692, is based on a DC magnetic field, and can therefore use soft iron cores in its DC radiator coils, since no eddy currents are generated by the DC field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The accuracy and efficacy of electromagnetic tracking systems, such as those cited above, is generally dependent on precise knowledge of the distribution of the magnetic fields generated by the radiator coils. Although these fields may be calculated theoretically, based on the geometry of the coils, the actual magnetic fields typically differ from the theoretical models. For example, the fields may differ from the models due to small deviations in the manufacture of the coils. In the case of coils having a ferromagnetic core, the geometry and electrical and magnetic properties of the core must also be taken into account. There will typically be greater deviations from the theoretical models due, for example, to nonlinearities, hysteresis and eddy currents in the core, and to imprecise location of the core relative to the coils. These deviations may lead to inaccuracies in determining the position and orientation of the object being tracked. It would, therefore, be desirable to calibrate the radiator coils by precise measurement of the direction and amplitude of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the object to be tracked.
It is thus an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for calibrating electromagnetic radiator coils or other types of magnetic field generators.
In some aspects of the present invention, the field equations of an electromagnetic radiator coil are used to derive a parametric, theoretical model of the field, which is compared with calibration measurements of the field to determine accurate values of the parameters.
In one aspect of the present invention, the theoretical model takes into account perturbations of the field due to the effect of a ferromagnetic core in the radiator coil.
In another aspect of the present invention, the radiator coils are used as part of an object tracking system, such as a system for use in determining the position and orientation of a probe inside the body of a subject during a medical or surgical procedure.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, apparatus for calibrating magnetic field generators comprises at least one sensor coil, fixed to a positioning device in a known geometrical relation. The positioning device, which may be of any suitable type known in the art, is adapted to position the at least one sensor coil in one or more known positions in a vicinity of the field generator being calibrated. The at least one sensor coil generates electrical signals in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, which signals are analyzed to determine the direction and amplitude of the magnetic field at the positions of the coils.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the at least one sensor coil comprises a plurality of sensor coils, preferably including three non-concentric coils, which are mutually substantially orthogonal, and are fixed in a predetermined mutual spacing. Non-concentric coils are advantageous in that they may more readily be wound in a small volume, preferably 1 mm
3
or less, desired for use in accordance with the present invention.
In some of these preferred embodiments, the coils are fixed in a substantially linear arrangement. Preferably the positioning device positions the coils successively in a plurality of positions along an axis defined by the arrangement of the coils. In one such preferred embodiment, the three non-concentric coils are fixed in a probe substantially as described in PCT patent application No. PCT/US95/01103, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the coils are fixed to respective faces of a cube. In one such preferred embodiment, six coils are respectively fixed to the six faces of the cube, such that the axis of each of the coils is orthogonal to the respective face to which it is fixed. Preferably, the positioning device positions
Govari Assaf
Osadchy Daniel
Biosense Inc.
Capezzuto Louis J.
Snow Walter E.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for calibrating a magnetic field generator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for calibrating a magnetic field generator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for calibrating a magnetic field generator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2825962