Wireless needle guidance using encoder sensor and encoder scale to achieve positional sensing between movable components
One or more devices, systems, methods and storage mediums for performing medical procedure (e.g., needle guidance, ablation, biopsy, etc.) planning and/or performance, and/or for performing guidance of multiple probes or multiple needles, are provided. Examples of applications for such devices, systems, methods and storage mediums include imaging, evaluating and diagnosing biological objects, such as, but not limited to, lesions and tumors, and such devices, systems, methods and storage mediums may be used for radiotherapy applications (e.g., to determine whether to place seed(s) for radiotherapy). Even in instances where communication between a medical tool or needle guidance device and a system is wireless or wired, preferably guidance information is still gathered and transmitted, especially in instances where wireless or wired communication signals are intermittent or interrupted.
1. A medical guidance device comprising:
a first portion including a portion defining an opening and including an encoder sensor, the first portion operating to be fixed to an object, a target, or a patient;
a second movable portion that is removably and movably mateable with the first portion, the second movable portion including a portion defining an opening, the second movable portion operating to hold at least one medical tool to be guided by the medical guidance device, and the second movable portion including an encoder scale that operates to interact with the encoder sensor to achieve positional sensing between the first portion and the second movable portion; and
one or more processors that operate to guide or navigate the at least one medical tool held in the medical guidance device and that operate to communicate with another processor wirelessly,
wherein the opening of the first portion overlaps with, is co-planar with, or is parallel to, the opening of the second movable portion such that the at least one medical tool operates to pass through the opening of the first portion and the opening of the second movable portion to have access to the object, the target, or the patient, and
wherein one or both of the first portion or the second movable portion include one or more of the following:
one or more illumination or visual indicators that operate to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool, and/or
a guidance surface having one or more reference marks or a reference scale, the guidance surface operating to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool through the opening of the first portion and through the opening of the second movable portion.
2. The medical guidance device of claim 1 , wherein:
the second movable portion includes:
a frame defining an opening that operates to overlay the opening of the first portion when the first portion and the second movable portion are mated with each other;
an arc or support member attached to the frame; and
a holder slideably or movably attached to the arc or support member,
wherein the holder operates to hold the at least one medical tool to be guided by the medical guidance device.
3. The medical guidance device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following:
the first portion includes one or more fiducial markers that operate to align, and confirm alignment of, the first portion that operates to be disposed or positioned on a patient in a targeted orientation or in a predetermined location, over a surgical site;
the medical guidance device operates to be placed or secured onto a patient in the targeted orientation or in the predetermined location, or over the surgical site; and/or
wherein the first portion operates to be fixed to the patient for performing a medical procedure with the at least one medical tool.
4. The medical guidance device of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the following:
the holder comprises at least one groove for accepting the at least one medical tool therein;
the at least one medical tool comprises a plurality of medical tools; and/or
the at least one groove of the holder comprises a plurality of grooves where each groove of the plurality of grooves operates to hold a different medical tool of the plurality of medical tools in the respective groove of the plurality of grooves.
5. The medical guidance device of claim 2 , wherein the arc or support member includes the guidance surface having the one or more reference marks or the reference scale that operates to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool.
6. The medical guidance device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following:
the first portion and/or the second movable portion includes the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion or on a surface of the second movable portion, the one or more illumination or visual indicators operating to indicate information to a user of the medical guidance device;
the one or more illumination or visual indicators include two, three, or more illumination or visual indicators; and/or
the information includes one or more of the following: whether one or more guidance features are enabled, whether the one or more guidance features are disabled, a position of the second movable portion, a position of a holder, a position and/or angle of the at least one medical tool, whether the angle of the at least one medical tool is accurately positioned and/or angled or not, whether movement of the second movable portion is accurate or needs adjustment, an insertion plane, different positions and/or angles of the at least one medical tool in a case where the at least one medical tool includes a plurality of medical tools, and/or whether an error has occurred with the medical guidance device.
7. The medical guidance device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more illumination or visual indicators include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), one or more LED arrays, or one or more lights on the surface of the first portion and/or the second movable portion to indicate the information to the user of the medical guidance device.
8. The medical guidance device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more LEDs, the one or more LED arrays, or the one or more lights comprise three LEDs, LED arrays, or lights where a center or middle LED, LED array, or light of the three LEDs, LED arrays, or lights indicates whether the one or more guidance features are enabled or disabled or whether an error has occurred with the medical guidance device, and where the other two LEDs, LED arrays, or lights of the three LEDs, LED arrays, or lights indicate: (i) via flashing, opposite directions in which the medical guidance device should be moved to adjust a guidance angle or direction of the at least one medical tool, (ii) by constantly being on, or by having a green or predetermined color, when to stop making the adjustment(s) to the guidance angle or direction of the at least one medical tool, and (iii) by being off when the one or more guidance features are disabled.
9. The medical guidance device of claim 6 , wherein one or more of the following:
one or more of the one or more illumination or visual indicators have different colors; and/or
one or more of the one or more illumination or visual indicators have different shapes.
10. The medical guidance device of claim 6 , wherein one or more of the following:
(i) the second movable portion includes:
a frame defining an opening that operates to overlay the opening of the first portion when the first portion and the second movable portion are mated with each other;
an arc or support member attached to the frame; and
a holder slideably or movably attached to the arc or support member,
wherein the holder operates to hold the at least one medical tool to be guided by the medical guidance device;
(ii) at least one of the one or more illumination or visual indicators is positioned or disposed on the holder, or on the second movable portion, to indicate whether the holder is accurately positioned or not;
(iii) at least one of the one or more illumination or visual indicators is positioned or disposed on the arc or support member;
(iv) at least one of the one or more illumination or visual indicators is positioned or disposed on the frame;
(v) at least one of the one or more illumination or visual indicators is positioned or disposed on the first portion;
(vi) the arc or support member includes the guidance surface having the one or more reference marks or the reference scale that operates to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool; and/or
(vii) the first portion, the second movable portion, or the medical guidance device includes one or more auditory signals to indicate some or all of the information to the user of the medical guidance device.
11. The medical guidance device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first portion operates to be fixed to the patient for performing a medical procedure with the at least one medical tool, and
wherein, in a case where the first portion and the second movable portion are mated together, the encoder sensor operates to achieve the position sensing by detecting position information between the first portion and the second movable portion based on a relative position of the encoder sensor compared with the encoder scale.
12. The medical guidance device of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the following:
the encoder sensor faces the encoder scale in the case where the first portion and the second movable portion are mated together;
the encoder scale extends along a predetermined length of one side of the second movable portion; and/or
the encoder scale extends along the entire circumference of the second movable portion around the opening of the second movable portion.
13. The medical guidance device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a wireless communication circuit or wireless communicator device that operates to aid the one or more processors in communicating with the another processor wirelessly,
wherein the one or more processors further operate to one or more of the following:
communicate with the encoder sensor and read a position along the encoder scale based on the position of the encoder sensor,
detect any error or errors of the encoder sensor, encoder scale, the one or more processors of the medical guidance device, and/or the medical guidance device, and/or
control the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion to indicate information to a user of the medical guidance device.
14. The medical guidance device of claim 1 , wherein
the medical guidance device communicates wirelessly with a first processor of a computer, the computer including the first processor and a first wireless circuit or communicator; and
the medical guidance device further includes a second wireless circuit or communicator that operates to communicate wirelessly with the first wireless circuit or communicator such that the one or more processors operate to communicate with the first processor of the computer via the first and second wireless circuits or communicators, and the encoder sensor operates to detect positional or angular information of the medical guidance device and/or of the at least one medical tool attached to the medical guidance device.
15. The medical guidance device of claim 14 , wherein:
the first processor operates to enable one or more guidance features by sending a signal to the one or more processors of the medical guidance device and to disable the one or more guidance features by sending a signal to the one or more processors of the medical guidance device in a case where one or more of the following occur: angle information and a target angle are matched or are substantially the same, angle information is stable, and/or a user aborts the guidance feature or features; and
the one or more processors further operate to one or more of the following:
(i) read angle information and status information from the encoder sensor cyclically,
(ii) transmit the angle information and the status information to the first processor cyclically,
(iii) calculate a difference between each angle information and the target angle during guidance of the at least one medical tool, and/or
(iv) control the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion and/or one or more auditory signals on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion to indicate information to a user of the medical guidance device based on the angle information and status information.
16. The medical guidance device of claim 14 , wherein:
the first processor operates to enable one or more guidance features by sending a signal to the one or more processors of the medical guidance device; and
the one or more processors further operate to one or more of the following:
(i) read angle information and status information from the encoder sensor cyclically,
(ii) calculate a difference between each angle information and target angle during guidance of the at least one medical tool,
(iii) control the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion and/or one or more auditory signals on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion to indicate information to a user of the medical guidance device based on the angle information and status information,
(iv) stop the one or more guidance features in a case where one or more of the following occur: angle information and the target angle are matched or are substantially the same, angle information is stable, and/or a user aborts the guidance feature or features, and/or
(v) send a guidance completion signal to the first processor when the guidance is completed or stopped.
17. A method of guiding at least one medical instrument or tool using a medical guidance device including a first portion including a portion defining an opening and including an encoder sensor, the first portion operating to be fixed to an object, a target, or a patient; a second movable portion that is removably and movably mateable with the first portion, the second movable portion including a portion defining an opening, the second movable portion operating to hold the at least one medical instrument or tool to be guided by the medical guidance device, and the second movable portion including an encoder scale that operates to interact with the encoder sensor to achieve positional sensing between the first portion and the second movable portion; and one or more processors that operate to guide or navigate the at least one medical instrument or tool held in the medical guidance device and that operate to communicate with another processor wirelessly, the method comprising:
mounting the medical guidance device about or over a predetermined insertion point of a surface, the medical guidance device comprising:
positioning the second movable portion to a predetermined position relative to the first portion such that the opening of the first portion overlaps with, is co-planar with, or is parallel to, the opening of the second movable portion and such that the at least one medical instrument or tool operates to pass through the opening of the first portion and the opening of the second movable portion to have access to the object, the target, or the patient;
positioning the at least one medical instrument or tool to a predetermined position upon the second movable portion; and
inserting the at least one medical instrument or tool through the predetermined insertion point,
wherein one or both of the first portion or the second movable portion include one or more of the following:
one or more illumination or visual indicators that operate to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical instrument or tool, and/or
a guidance surface having one or more reference marks or a reference scale, the guidance surface operating to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical instrument or tool through the opening of the first portion and through the opening of the second movable portion.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the second movable portion includes:
a frame defining an opening that operates to overlay the opening of the first portion when the first portion and the second movable portion are mated with each other;
an arc or support member attached to the frame; and
a holder slideably or movably attached to the arc or support member,
wherein the holder operates to hold the at least one medical instrument or tool to be guided by the medical guidance device.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein one or more of the following:
the first portion includes one or more fiducial markers that operate to align, and confirm alignment of, the first portion on a patient in a targeted orientation or in a predetermined location, over a surgical site;
the medical guidance device is placed or secured onto the patient in the targeted orientation or in the predetermined location, or over the surgical site; and/or
wherein the first portion operates to be fixed to the patient for performing a medical procedure with the at least one medical instrument or tool.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein one or more of the following:
the holder comprises at least one groove for accepting the at least one medical instrument or tool therein;
the at least one medical instrument or tool comprises a plurality of medical instruments or tools; and/or
the at least one groove of the holder comprises a plurality of grooves where each groove of the plurality of grooves operates to hold a different medical instrument or tool of the plurality of medical instruments or tools in the respective groove of the plurality of grooves.
21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
causing a display to display one or more images taken including the at least one medical instrument or tool through the predetermined insertion point and including the medical guidance device;
designating a target position in the displayed image, at which the at least one medical instrument or tool is to be positioned, in response to receiving a user input for selecting a position in the displayed image; and
guiding the at least one medical instrument or tool to or into at least one region of interest.
22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
enabling one or more guidance features of the medical guidance device using a first processor communicating wirelessly with the one or more processors of the medical guidance device;
having the one or more processors obtain angle information and status information from the encoder sensor of the medical guidance device cyclically;
calculating, via the one or more processors, a difference between each angle information and a target angle during guidance;
sending the angle information and the status information from the one or more processors to the first processor cyclically; and
disabling, via the first processor, the one or more guidance features once guidance is completed or is stopped by sending a signal from the first processor to the one or more processors wirelessly.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising controlling, via the one or more processors, the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion, one or more auditory signals on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion, or one or more light emitting diodes or lights on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion that operate to indicate positional information to a user of the medical guidance device based on the calculated difference and the status information.
24. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
enabling one or more guidance features of the medical guidance device using a first processor communicating wirelessly with the one or more processors of the medical guidance device;
having the one or more processors obtain angle information and status information from the encoder sensor of the medical guidance device cyclically;
calculating, via the one or more processors, a difference between each angle information and a target angle during guidance;
stopping or disabling the one or more guidance features of the medical guidance device, via the one or more processors, in a case where one or more of occur: angle information and the target angle are matched or are substantially the same, angle information is stable, and/or a user aborts the guidance feature or features; and
sending, via the one or more processors, a guidance completion signal to the first processor when the guidance is completed or stopped.
25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising controlling, via the one or more processors, the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion, one or more auditory signals on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion, or one or more light emitting diodes or lights on a surface of the first portion and/or on a surface of the second movable portion that operate to indicate positional information to a user of the medical guidance device based on the calculated difference and status information.
26. A medical guidance device comprising:
a first portion including a portion defining an opening and including an encoder sensor, the first portion operating to be fixed to an object, a target, or a patient;
a second movable portion that is removably and movably mateable with the first portion, the second movable portion including a portion defining an opening, the second movable portion operating to hold at least one medical tool to be guided by the medical guidance device, and the second movable portion including an encoder scale that operates to interact with the encoder sensor to achieve positional sensing between the first portion and the second movable portion; and
one or more processors that operate to guide or navigate the at least one medical tool held in the medical guidance device and that operate to communicate with another processor wirelessly,
wherein the opening of the first portion overlaps with, is co-planar with, or is parallel to, the opening of the second movable portion such that the at least one medical tool operates to pass through the opening of the first portion and the opening of the second movable portion to have access to the object, the target, or the patient, and
wherein one or both of the first portion or the second movable portion include one or more of the following:
one or more illumination or visual indicators that operate to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool, and/or
a guidance surface having one or more reference marks or a reference scale, the guidance surface operating to aid in the guidance of the at least one medical tool through the opening of the first portion and through the opening of the second movable portion, wherein one or more of the following:
the first portion and/or the second movable portion includes the one or more illumination or visual indicators on a surface of the first portion or on a surface of the second movable portion, the one or more illumination or visual indicators operating to indicate information to a user of the medical guidance device;
the one or more illumination or visual indicators include two, three, or more illumination or visual indicators; and/or
the information includes one or more of the following: whether one or more guidance features are enabled, whether the one or more guidance features are disabled, a position of the second movable portion, a position and/or angle of the at least one medical tool, whether the angle of the at least one medical tool is accurately positioned and/or angled or not, whether movement of the second movable portion is accurate or needs adjustment, an insertion plane, different positions and/or angles of the at least one medical tool in a case where the at least one medical tool includes a plurality of medical tools, and/or whether an error has occurred with the medical guidance device.