Automatic guidewire maneuvering system and method

1. A system for guiding a catheter to a predetermined location within a lumen system of a body of a patient, comprising:

a medical positioning system including a detector located at and attached to a distal portion of said catheter and configured to produce a signal respective of a three-dimensional position of said detector, said medical positioning system being configured to determine the position of said detector in response to said signal as said catheter travels through said lumen system;

a moving mechanism coupled with said catheter; and

an electronic controller coupled with said medical positioning system and with said moving mechanism configured to control the operation of said moving mechanism to automatically move said catheter according to the determined position of said detector along a preplanned path between an origin and said predetermined location relative to said lumen system, said controller being coupled to a storage unit wherein a topological representation of said lumen system in stored in said storage unit, said controller being configured to determine said preplanned path from said topological representation of said lumen system, said topological representation of said lumen system comprises a mapping of said lumen system;

said controller being further configured to determine a modified path different from said preplanned path when said controller determines that said catheter has encountered an obstruction in said lumen system, said modified path being configured to overcome the obstruction;

wherein said controller is further configured to determine an orientation of said catheter distal portion at a given point in said lumen system and to determine a computed slope of said preplanned path at said given point wherein said controller is configured to detect said obstruction when said orientation is different from said slope.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein when said controller detects said obstruction, said controller is further configured to control said moving mechanism to move said catheter in a corrective movement.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said corrective movement includes retreating said catheter backward within said lumen system, performing one of twisting and bending of said distal portion of said catheter, and advancing said catheter along said modified path to thereby overcome said obstruction in said preplanned path.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said topological representation of said lumen system comprises one of a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional mapping of said lumen system.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an imaging system for detecting an image of a part of said lumen system having said preplanned path along which said catheter is to be guided; and

a superimposition processor coupled with said medical positioning system and with said imaging system and a display coupled with said superimposition processor, said superimposition processor superimposing a representation of said catheter distal portion on said image, to be displayed on said display coupled with said processor.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said superimposition processor superimposes said topological representation on said image to be displayed on said display.

7. The system according to claim 5 wherein said display displays a curve respective of the shape of said catheter distal portion according to said determined position.

8. The system according to claim 5 wherein said imaging system is one selected from the group comprising:

an X-ray system;

a fluoroscope;

a C-arm imager;

a computed tomography system;

a magnetic resonance imager;

a positron emission tomography system; and

an ultrasound system.

9. The system according to claim 5 further including means for setting the respective coordinate systems of said medical positioning system and said imaging system to a common two-dimensional coordinate system for display of said superimposed representation on said image.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an organ monitor configured to be coupled with a monitored organ of said body and with said medical positioning system, said monitored organ being coupled with said lumen system, said organ monitor monitoring an organ timing signal of said monitored organ and of said lumen system, wherein said controller updates said topological representation and said determined position according to said organ timing signal; and

wherein said controller controls the operation of said moving mechanism according to at least one of an updated topological representation and an updated position of said catheter distal portion.

11. The system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a processor coupled with said medical positioning system, said processor updating said topological representation and a representation of said catheter distal portion according to said organ timing signal, said processor producing a reconstructed image of said at least one portion according to said organ timing signal, said processor superposing at least one of an updated topological representation and an updated representation of said catheter distal portion on said reconstructed image, to be displayed on a display coupled with said processor.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein said organ monitor is one selected from the group comprising:

an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor; and

means for producing a filtered MPS reading.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said medical positioning system includes a plurality of transmitters configured to produce an electromagnetic field, said detector, in response to said electromagnetic field, producing said signal respective of a three-dimensional position of said detector.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein said moving mechanism is disposable.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein said moving mechanism comprises

one moving element;

a plurality of angular movement rollers coupled with said at least one moving element, said angular movement rollers twisting said catheter by a selected amount about a longitudinal axis of said catheter; and

a plurality of linear movement rollers coupled with said at least one moving element, said linear movement rollers moving said catheter along said longitudinal axis.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a joystick coupled with said moving element for manually operating said moving mechanism.

17. The system according to claim 1 wherein a coupling between said detector and said medical positioning system is one selected from the group comprising:

a conductor; and

a wireless coupling.

18. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said catheter is made of Electro Active Polymer.