System and method for facilitating manual and/or automatic volumetric imaging with real-time tension or force feedback using a tethered imaging device
According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, apparatus, device and method can be provided which can provide imaging of biological tissues, e.g., luminal organs in vivo, using optical techniques in an automatic or semiautomatic manner. The exemplary apparatus, device and method can utilize a tethered capsule catheter with a mechanism for manual, semi-automatic or automatic traversing in the luminal organ with a controlled velocity and/or image quality. The exemplary apparatus can include feedback information about tension applied to the catheter during its movement that can be used to adjust velocity and assure patient comfort and safety for example during passing through natural sphincters and/or narrowing of the luminal organs and preventing from breaking of the catheter. The exemplary apparatus can also adjust velocity in order to provide good quality of acquired images, for example to engaged peristalsis and provide contact with the tissue. In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the exemplary mechanism for a controlled advancement of the catheter can be positioned outside of the patient's mouth, and can include a position sensor providing information about the position of the capsule in respect to the luminal organ for orientation of the acquired data.
1. An apparatus for determining a force on at least one section thereof within at least one anatomical structure, comprising:
a catheter including an interferometric imaging system disposed within a capsule connected to a tether, the interferometric imaging system configured to obtain image data regarding at least one surface of the capsule when the catheter is inserted within the at least one anatomical structure; and
a processor configured to determine a force on the at least one surface of the capsule based on a change in a determination of a diameter of the capsule based on the image data.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image data includes a difference information between a surface of the at least one anatomical structure and the at least one surface of the catheter.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image data includes information solely regarding the surface of the catheter.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a position control system which is configured to provide an adjustable control of the position of the catheter using the determined force.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the position control system includes a plurality of rollers.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control of the catheter is configured to be performed via a control of an operator based on the determined force.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control of the catheter is performed automatically using a computer based on the determined force.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determined force includes a pressure on the at least one surface of the catheter determined based on the image data.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a computer which is configured to effectuate a control of a position of the catheter, wherein the control of the tether by the computer is controlled using the determined force.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , processor determines the force by analyzing a strain on or of the tether based on the image data.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the catheter includes a fiber which is connected to the capsule, and wherein the processor determines the force by analyzing a strain on or of the fiber based on the image data.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor which is connected to the catheter and configured to provide further data indicative of a position of the catheter within the at least one anatomical structure.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a position control system which is configured to provide an adjustable control of the catheter using the determined force and the further data.
14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct at least one image of the first portion based on the further data.
15. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the position sensor arrangement includes an array of position sensors.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the array of position sensors is connected along a length of the tether at predetermined locations.
17. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the position control system is a pullback system which is configured to provide a pullback of the position of the catheter using the determined force.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the change in diameter of the capsule comprises an increase in diameter of the capsule.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tether comprises a fiber, and
wherein the change in the determination of the diameter of the capsule is based on the fiber elongating relative to a reference arm as a result of the force on the at least one surface of the capsule.