Medical probe for ultrasound imaging
An internal probe device for insertion into the body of a patient, comprises an elongate body with a plurality of EAP actuators mounted at the surface of the body. The EAP actuators are made to vibrate so that their position becomes visible in a Doppler ultrasound image. The use of EAP actuators to provide vibrations enables individual locations to be identified. In particular, the movement of the EAP actuator may be largely isolated from the main body of the probe. Furthermore, EAP actuators can be thin, lightweight and have a small form factor suitable for application to or within the surface of a probe, such as a catheter, needle or endoscope.
1. A probe device comprising:
an elongate body;
a plurality of electro-active polymer actuators mounted at the surface of the elongate body; and
a controller circuit, wherein the controller circuit is arranged to control a vibration of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators,
wherein the vibration frequency is less than or equal to 5 kHz.
2. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vibration is induced locally in a radial direction in at least two of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators.
3. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the vibration is induced locally in an axial direction in at least two of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators.
4. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first sub-set of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators are at one angular position around the elongate body and a second sub-set of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators are at another angular position around the elongate body.
5. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vibration frequency is greater than a resonance frequency of the elongate body.
6. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators is covered by a vibration dampening layer.
7. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is arranged to apply a different vibration frequency to at least two different electro-active polymer actuators of the plurality of electro-active polymers actuators.
8. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is arranged to apply a coded vibration sequence to at least one of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators.
9. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is arranged to control the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators to induce steering of a tip of the probe device.
10. The probe device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a first sub-set of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators are arranged for steering control and a second sub-set of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators are arranged for providing the vibration.
11. The probe device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators is arranged to provide steering and the vibration.
12. A catheter comprising the probe device as claimed in claim 1 .
13. An imaging system, comprising:
a probe device, for insertion into the body of a subject, as claimed in claim 1 ; and
an ultrasound scanner,
wherein the ultrasound scanner is arranged to operate in a 3D Doppler mode,
wherein the ultrasound scanner is arranged to generate 3D Doppler data.
14. The imaging system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the imaging system is a medical imaging system for imaging a part of a human or animal body.
15. The probe device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vibration is induced locally in a tangential direction in at least two of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators.
16. A probe device, comprising:
an elongate body;
a plurality of electro-active polymer actuators integrated into an outer wall of the probe device; and
a controller circuit, wherein the controller circuit is arranged to control a vibration of the plurality of electro-active polymer actuators, and
wherein the vibration frequency is less than or equal to 5 kHz.