Shape-sensing systems with vibration-assisted torsion management and methods thereof

1 . A shape-sensing system, comprising:

an optical-fiber probe configured to be removably disposed in an elongate medical device, the optical-fiber probe including:

an inner construction of one or more optical-fiber cores disposed in a cladding; and

an outer construction including a mechanical layer over the inner construction but detached therefrom over a majority of the optical-fiber probe; and

a vibration-assisted torsion-management means for managing torsion in the optical-fiber probe, the vibration-assisted torsion-management means operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe for vibrating the inner construction relative to the outer construction of the optical-fiber probe or vibrating the outer construction relative to the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe to mitigate or eliminate any optical signal-distorting torsion in the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe,

wherein the vibration-assisted torsion-management means includes a vibration motor or an actuator disposed in a handle about a proximal portion of the optical-fiber probe and operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe, the vibration motor or actuator selected from an eccentric rotating-mass vibration motor, a linear resonant actuator, and a solenoid actuator.

2 . The shape-sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical layer is metal tubing.

3 . The shape-sensing system of claim 2 , wherein the metal tubing is configured to convey electrical signals along a length of the optical-fiber probe.

4 . The shape-sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical layer is polymer tubing.

5 . The shape-sensing system of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical layer includes one or more metal wires disposed in the polymer tubing.

6 . The shape-sensing system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more metal wires are configured to convey electrical signals along a length of the optical-fiber probe.

7 . The shape-sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the vibration motor or the actuator is started by a switch of the handle.

8 . The shape-sensing system of claim 1 , wherein each fiber core of the one or more fiber cores of the optical-fiber probe include a number of fiber Bragg grating (“FBG”) sensors along at least a distal portion of the optical-fiber probe.

9 . The shape-sensing system of claim 8 , further comprising:

an optical interrogator configured to send input optical signals into the optical-fiber probe and receive FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical-fiber probe; and

a console including one or more processors, memory, and executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the console to perform a set of operations upon execution of the executable instructions by the one or more processors, the set of operations including:

receiving the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical interrogator;

converting the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals into converted electrical signals with optical signal-converter logic of the console; and

determining, in a real-time determination, at least a shape of the optical-fiber probe from the converted electrical signals with shape-sensing logic of the console.

10 . The shape-sensing system of claim 9 , wherein the set of operations further includes:

tracking vibrating of the optical-fiber probe by the vibration-assisted torsion-management means with vibration-tracking logic of the console; and

removing from the converted electrical signals any portion thereof related to vibration-assisted torsion management for at least the shape of the optical-fiber probe.

11 . A shape-sensing system, comprising:

an optical-fiber probe configured to be removably disposed in an elongate medical device, the optical-fiber probe including:

an inner construction of one or more optical-fiber cores disposed in a cladding; and

an outer construction including a mechanical layer over the inner construction but detached therefrom over a majority of the optical-fiber probe; and

a vibration-assisted torsion-management means for managing torsion in the optical-fiber probe, the vibration-assisted torsion-management means operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe for vibrating the inner construction relative to the outer construction of the optical-fiber probe or vibrating the outer construction relative to the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe to mitigate or eliminate any optical signal-distorting torsion in the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe,

wherein the vibration-assisted torsion-management means includes a vibration motor or an actuator disposed in a probe-side connector about a proximal-end portion of the optical-fiber probe and operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe, the vibration motor or the actuator selected from an eccentric rotating-mass vibration motor, a linear resonant actuator, and a solenoid actuator.

12 . The shape-sensing system of claim 11 , wherein the vibration motor or the actuator is started by a switch of the probe-side connector of the optical-fiber probe.

13 . The shape-sensing system of claim 11 , wherein each fiber core of the one or more fiber cores of the optical-fiber probe include a number of fiber Bragg grating (“FBG”) sensors along at least a distal portion of the optical-fiber probe.

14 . The shape-sensing system of claim 13 , further comprising:

an optical interrogator configured to send input optical signals into the optical-fiber probe and receive FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical-fiber probe; and

a console including one or more processors, memory, and executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the console to perform a set of operations upon execution of the executable instructions by the one or more processors, the set of operations including:

receiving the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical interrogator;

converting the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals into converted electrical signals with optical signal-converter logic of the console; and

determining, in a real-time determination, at least a shape of the optical-fiber probe from the converted electrical signals with shape-sensing logic of the console.

15 . The shape-sensing system of claim 14 , wherein the set of operations further includes:

tracking vibrating of the optical-fiber probe by the vibration-assisted torsion-management means with vibration-tracking logic of the console; and

removing from the converted electrical signals any portion thereof related to vibration-assisted torsion management for at least the shape of the optical-fiber probe.

16 . A shape-sensing system, comprising:

an optical-fiber probe configured to be removably disposed in an elongate medical device, the optical-fiber probe including:

an inner construction of one or more optical-fiber cores disposed in a cladding; and

an outer construction including a mechanical layer over the inner construction but detached therefrom over a majority of the optical-fiber probe; and

a vibration-assisted torsion-management means for managing torsion in the optical-fiber probe, the vibration-assisted torsion-management means operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe for vibrating the inner construction relative to the outer construction of the optical-fiber probe or vibrating the outer construction relative to the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe to mitigate or eliminate any optical signal-distorting torsion in the inner construction of the optical-fiber probe, wherein:

the vibration-assisted torsion-management means includes a vibration motor or an actuator operably coupled to the optical-fiber probe, the vibration motor or the actuator selected from an eccentric rotating-mass vibration motor, a linear resonant actuator, and a solenoid actuator; and

the vibration motor or the actuator is disposed in another component of the shape-sensing system proximal of a probe-side connector about a proximal-end portion of the optical-fiber probe, the vibration motor or the actuator in another component of the shape-sensing system configured to transfer vibrations to the optical-fiber probe through the probe-side connector of the optical-fiber probe.

17 . The shape-sensing system of claim 16 , wherein the vibration motor or the actuator is started by a switch of another component of the shape-sensing system, speech-recognition logic in another component of the shape-sensing system, or torsion-detection logic in another component of the shape-sensing system.

18 . The shape-sensing system of claim 16 , wherein each fiber core of the one or more fiber cores of the optical-fiber probe include a number of fiber Bragg grating (“FBG”) sensors along at least a distal portion of the optical-fiber probe.

19 . The shape-sensing system of claim 18 , further comprising:

an optical interrogator configured to send input optical signals into the optical-fiber probe and receive FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical-fiber probe; and

a console including one or more processors, memory, and executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the console to perform a set of operations upon execution of the executable instructions by the one or more processors, the set of operations including:

receiving the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals from the optical interrogator;

converting the FBG sensor-reflected optical signals into converted electrical signals with optical signal-converter logic of the console; and

determining, in a real-time determination, at least a shape of the optical-fiber probe from the converted electrical signals with shape-sensing logic of the console.

20 . The shape-sensing system of claim 19 , wherein the set of operations further includes:

tracking vibrating of the optical-fiber probe by the vibration-assisted torsion-management means with vibration-tracking logic of the console; and

removing from the converted electrical signals any portion thereof related to vibration-assisted torsion management for at least the shape of the optical-fiber probe.