Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
  • A61B8/4494—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/34—Trocars; Puncturing needles
  • A61B17/3417—Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
  • A61B5/6846—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
  • A61B5/6847—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive mounted on an invasive device
  • A61B5/6848—Needles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
  • A61B8/0833—Clinical applications involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
  • A61B8/0841—Clinical applications involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures for locating instruments
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
  • A61B90/39—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
  • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
  • B06B1/0688—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction with foil-type piezoelectric elements, e.g. PVDF
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/34—Trocars; Puncturing needles
  • A61B17/3403—Needle locating or guiding means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B2017/00526—Methods of manufacturing
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/34—Trocars; Puncturing needles
  • A61B17/3403—Needle locating or guiding means
  • A61B2017/3413—Needle locating or guiding means guided by ultrasound
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
  • A61B90/39—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
  • A61B2090/3925—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers ultrasonic
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
  • A61B90/39—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
  • A61B2090/3925—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers ultrasonic
  • A61B2090/3929—Active markers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B2562/00—Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
  • A61B2562/16—Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors
  • A61B2562/164—Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4444—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device related to the probe

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to medical instruments and more particularly to a system and method for applying ultrasound receivers on a device using planar thin film methods.
• the sensor needs to not interfere with the functionality of the device (e.g., an automatic biopsy device), that is, not block the lumen, not interfere with the mechanics, etc.
• a sensor device includes a flexible planar strip including a plurality of layers.
• the strip is configured to at least partially encapsulate a medical device.
• the strip includes a first dielectric layer, a conductive shield layer disposed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer formed on the conductive shield layer; and a patterned conductive layer including a sensor electrode, a hub electrode and a trace connecting the sensor electrode and the hub electrode.
• Another sensor device includes a flexible planar strip including a plurality of layers, the strip being configured to spirally wrap around a medical device to at least partially encapsulate the medical device.
• the strip includes a first dielectric layer of the strip having at least one angled end portion and including at least one thong extending transversely from a longitudinal dimension of the strip.
• a bottom electrode and a bottom electrode trace, which connects to the bottom electrode, are formed on the first dielectric layer.
• a piezoelectric layer is formed on the bottom electrode.
• a top electrode and a top electrode trace, which connects to the top electrode, are formed on the piezoelectric layer.
• a method for applying a sensor to a medical device includes providing a flexible planar strip having a plurality of layers including dielectric materials and sensor components;
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a flexible planar dielectric layer for forming a low profile conformal sensor device in accordance with the present principles
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 1 having a conductive shield layer formed thereon in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 2 having a middle insulating layer formed thereon in accordance with the present principles
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 3 having a top electrode, hub contact and trace formed on the middle insulating layer in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 4 having another dielectric layer (insulator) formed on the trace in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 5 being wrapped about a hub end of a needle in accordance with the present principles
• FIG. 7 is a side view showing the device of FIG. 5 being applied about a tip end of a needle with a piezoelectric material employed to form a sensor in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 8 is a top view of a slanted strip with thongs for forming a spirally wrapped sensor device in accordance with the present principles
• FIG. 9 is a top view showing the device of FIG. 8 with bottom electrodes (and traces) being applied in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 10 is a top view showing the device of FIG. 9 with a piezoelectric material being applied to the bottom electrodes in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 11 is a top view showing the device of FIG. 10 with top electrodes (and traces) being applied in accordance with the present principles;
• FIG. 12 is a side view showing a spirally wrapped sensor device and a securing feature in accordance with the present principles.
• FIG. 13 is a flow diagram showing a method for applying a sensor device in accordance with illustrative embodiments.
• systems, devices and methods are provided for applying a sensor or sensors to a needle (or other device) to implement ultrasound guidance or tracking of the needle or device.
• the present principles provide a needle, device or system that includes one or more low profile sensors at very low per device cost and permits scaling for mass production to maintain low cost.
• interconnect for the sensor may be mass manufactured on a large planar thin film sheet (with a repeating pattern) and subsequently cut into thin strips. Methods are described for attaching these strips to the device. In one method, a highly bendable/flexible material is employed for the sheet, and the sheet is wrapped about a circumference of the device. In another method, a strip is wrapped around the needle in a spiraling manner. In these and other methods, a sensor device is formed on a thin planar film, which is to be mounted on the device.
• the ultrasound sensors may be formed on a thin film planar sheet by building dielectric layers and patterning conductors such that the entire sensor (or a portion of the sensor) is formed prior to its mounting on the device.
• the needle or other device may be fabricated using a piezoelectric polymer, e.g., polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)). P(VDF-TrFE). These materials can be dissolved in acetone and applied to the planar sheet or to the medical device through an evaporative process.
• the sensors are high impedance and can be modeled as a voltage source in series with a small capacitor (e.g., 2.2pF).
• Such a sensor is very sensitive to capacitive loading of the electrical interconnect, and special capacitance cancelling electronics (similar to, e.g., a driven shield technique) can be employed to avoid large signal loss.
• a wire or trace carrying the signal preferably is shielded (e.g., includes an electric shield around the conductor). This may be accomplished using a stripline configuration.
• the present invention will be described in terms of medical instruments; however, the teachings of the present invention are much broader and are applicable to any instrument that can accept a low profile sensor.
• the present principles are employed in tracking or analyzing complex biological or mechanical systems.
• the present principles are applicable to internal tracking procedures of biological systems and are applicable for procedures in all areas of the body such as the lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, excretory organs, blood vessels, etc.
• the elements depicted in the FIGS may be implemented in various combinations of hardware and software and provide functions which may be combined in a single element or multiple elements.
• all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof.
• such phrasing is intended to encompass the selection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only, or the selection of the third listed option (C) only, or the selection of the first and the second listed options (A and B) only, or the selection of the first and third listed options (A and C) only, or the selection of the second and third listed options (B and C) only, or the selection of all three options (A and B and C).
• This may be extended, as readily apparent by one of ordinary skill in this and related arts, for as many items listed.
• the dielectric layer 10 may be formed as a sheet and represents and outer biocompatible insulation layer.
• the biocompatible insulation material for layer 10 may include Mylar, pressure sensitive adhesive films, polyester films, polyimide films, parylene, polyurethane, etc.
• the sheet on which the dielectric layer 10 is formed may be first manufactured on a large planar thin film sheet. One sheet may include a plurality of structures. Then, individual units can be cut from the sheet using, for example, laser cutting, stamping, etc.
• the dielectric layer 10 may be the first layer in the sheet as the layers and components will be constructed from an outermost layer to an innermost layer; however, the fabrication order may be reversed or otherwise changed, as needed.
• FIG. 1 shows a single unit as cut from such a larger sheet to illustratively show the fabrication of the single unit.
• the first biocompatible dielectric layer 10 will form the outer layer of a sensor equipped needle or other device.
• the dielectric layer 10 may be about 25 - 50 microns thick although other thicknesses may be employed.
• a conductive layer 12 is formed on layer 10.
• the conductive layer 12 will form an outer shield for the sensor equipped needle or other device.
• the conductive layer 12 may include a foil adhered to layer 10, include conductive ink, include an evaporated metal, etc.
• a middle insulating layer 14 is deposited or formed over the conductive layer 12. At a hub end portion 16 of the strip, the middle insulating layer 14 does not extend to the end, so a small strip of the outer shield or conductive layer 12 remains exposed. This exposed end will eventually form a hub end ring electrode for the outer shield 12 that a needle connector (not shown) will connect to.
• the insulating layer 14 may be about 25 - 50 microns thick although other thicknesses may be employed.
• a conductive signal trace 18 is formed on the middle insulating layer 14.
• the trace 18 may be deposited and selectively etched to provide T-shaped end patterns 20, 22.
• the T shaped end pattern 22 will form an electrode 26 that will cover the sensor to be formed.
• the T shaped section 20 will form a ring or hub electrode 28 that a needle connector uses to connect to the signal trace 18.
• the conductive signal trace layer may include a thickness from about less than on micron to a few microns, although other thicknesses may be employed.
• the electrodes 26, 28 and the trace 18 may be printed using a conductive ink.
• the signal trace 18 is then covered with another insulating layer 30.
• This insulating layer 30 will be on the side of the film that will come in contact with the needle or other device on which the sensor will be placed.
• the insulating layer 30 will leave the sensor electrode exposed, and at the hub end portion 16, the insulating layer 30 leaves the hub electrode 28 exposed.
• the insulating 18 may be about 25 - 50 microns thick although other thicknesses may be employed.
• a structure 40 shown in FIG. 5 may include very thin but strong laminates for its layers, so that the structure 40 will not stretch and damage the conductive components formed therein.
• One or more of the insulating layers 10 may include, e.g., polyurethane, although other plastics or insulating materials may be employed.
• the conductive layer 12 may include a foil and may be aluminum, silver, gold or other biocompatible conductors.
• the structure 40 includes a width that may be less than a circumference of the needle or device on which it will be placed. In particularly useful embodiments, the width could be between, for example, about 20% of the circumference to about 90% the circumference.
• the structure 40 can be attachable to a needle 42 by bending the structure 40 into a tubular shape. Layer 30 will be in contact with the needle 42 (or other device).
• the structure 40 includes a width that wraps around the needle 42 and is slightly smaller than a diameter of the needle 42. When installed on the needle 42, edges of the structure 40 form a gap 44 running along the length (or a substantial portion of the length) of the needle 42.
• the hub end portion 16 is shown in FIG. 6.
• an elastic strip 46 may, for example, be accomplished by gluing the elastic strip to the edges of the structure 40, or applying a glue that dries into an elastic material in the gap 44 when the structure 40 is wrapped around a template needle and then transferred to needle 42.
• the dielectric layer 10 in FIG. 1 may be formed from a material where the width covers a tube circumference (needle circumference), and makes the other insulator layers closer to the needle 42 (in the stack of layers) narrower (less width) so they make a more rigid structure 40.
• a small portion of the conductive layer 12 and T-shape 20 may be folded back (cuffed) onto itself (e.g., folding the exposed strip onto itself at the very end before making it into a tube shape). This brings the contact points for the outer shield 12 and the T shape 20 signal trace from an inside surface of the formed tube to an outside of the tube, so that a clamp style connector can attach to these contact points.
• a single ring sensor 50 may be formed at the tip end portion 24 of the needle 42 in accordance with one embodiment.
• the needle 42 preferably includes a metal, such as a stainless steel although other surgically compatible materials may be employed.
• the tip end portion 24 (distal end portion) of the needle 42 may be coated with a piezoelectric copolymer 32. This may be achieved by employing a dip coating process.
• the metal needle 42 now serves as a bottom electrode for the copolymer sensor 50.
• the top electrode of the sensor 50 will be the electrode 26.
• the copolymer may include a PVDF or P(VDF-TrFE) ring, although other suitable materials may be employed.
• dielectric/insulating layers e.g., layers 10, 14, 30 (FIG.5)
• a material with a relatively low dielectric constant e.g., silicon dioxide
• polytetrafluoroethylene with a dielectric constant of about 2.1 may be selected.
• plastics/polymers have a dielectric constant close to 3.0 and may also be employed.
• Polyurethane has a slightly higher 3.5 value and is attractive for use in the present applications because there are medical grade versions (used to coat implantable pacemakers). Further, polyurethane provides good adhesion to many materials with high smoothness and durability, and can be deposited in thin layers using appropriate solvents. Other materials may also be used.
• the present principles can be extended to multiple sensors on a same needle. This permits a determination of an orientation of the needle and also a determination of the location of the needle tip without the need to place the sensor very close to the tip. Calculating the tip location based on signals from multiple sensors should also increase the measurement accuracy as well as provide an indication of confidence in the measurement. The cost is a slightly more complicated manufacturing process and a slight loss of signal because of the extra capacitive load of multiple sensors.
• another embodiment includes a slanted strip 102 that can be attached to a needle or device using a spiral outer wrap.
• the slanted strip 102 in this embodiment includes embedded piezoelectric sensors and interconnects (traces).
• an insulator 104 in the form of the slanted strip 102 includes thongs or cross-strips 106.
• the thongs 106 will include the sensors and are angled relative to the strip 102 so that when the strip 102 is lightly spirally wound about a needle (not shown), the thongs 106 will form rings around the needle.
• the insulator 104 may include one or more of the dielectric materials described above, e.g., polyurethane, Mylar, etc.
• the strip 102 includes an acutely slanted end portion 103 to enable a starting position for spirally wrapping the strip on the medical device.
• a bottom electrode or electrodes 108 are formed along with a trace or traces 1 10 connecting the bottom electrodes 108.
• the conductive material for the bottom electrodes 108 and traces 1 10 may include conductive ink, evaporated metals, conductive polymers, etc.
• a piezoelectric material 112 (e.g., PVDF or copolymer material) is applied to the thongs 106 only.
• the piezoelectric material 1 12 may be deposited using masks or the like or may be painted on.
• a top electrode or electrodes 1 14 are applied on top of the piezoelectric material 112 and formed along with a trace 1 16 connecting them and forming sensors 120.
• a multi-sensor needle is provided with a shared trace connecting the sensors.
• the slanted strip 102 can be wound around the needle in a slightly spiraling manner.
• a first layer that touches a needle 122 can be adhesive in nature.
• a securing feature 123 such as a film may be made in the form of a very narrow strip.
• This feature 123 includes one or more insulators 125 and a conductive layer 127.
• the conductive layer 127 may be sandwiched between insulators.
• the strip 102 (and/or the feature 123) is wound around the needle 122 in a tightly packed dense spiral that fully covers the needle 122.
• the feature 123 includes an outer biocompatible insulation layer 125, and an outer shield (conductive layer 127).
• the inner insulator (not shown) of this feature 123 can be adhesive in nature.
• Alternate embodiments may include, for example, a structure where the sensors are directly in contact with a needle where the needle functions as one electrode (as in FIG. 7).
• a partially elastic tube with interconnects with piezoelectric sensors deposited on the tube may be employed.
• the structure 40 of FIG. 5 could be attached to a needle in a spiral as in FIG. 12.
• a very narrow adhesive strip could be spiraled around the structure 40 in FIG. 6, this strip could form the outer biocompatible insulator (so the layer 30 in FIG. 5 would no longer be needed).
• a thin wire may be used to spiral around the structure 40 in FIG. 6.
• the wire may have an adhesive coating or a non-adhesive wire may be employed followed by dipcoating in a biocompatible glue/encapsulant.
• a tube such as a heatshrink tube or similar material, such as a material that shrinks when exposed to a chemical or UV light may be employed to encapsulate a strip (spiraled or wrapped) in accordance with the present principles.
• the sensors may include PVDF or copolymer, or the sensors may include, for example, PZT or another piezoelectric material, or an altogether different sensor, such as, a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT).
• CMUT capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer
• an adhesive layer could be applied to the needle, and the strips or structures described may be pressed around or spiraled around the needle to adhere them.
• piezoelectrical polymers such as PVDF and P(VDF-TrFE) are candidate materials for sensor production.
• the ability of an applied voltage to produce motion in a PVDF sample is used to produce ultrasonic waves which can be detected using a PVDF based hydrophone.
• PVDF piezoelectrical polymers
• a PVDF sensor can be modeled as a voltage source in series with a capacitance and for thicker sensors with small surface area. This results in a small capacitance.
• PVDF has advantages for medical ultrasonic work carried out in the frequency range 25-100 MHz.
• PVDF is also limited in ability to transmit higher intensities of ultrasound compared to PZT.
• PVDF has favorable behavior even at the lower frequencies, for example, for PVDF hydrophones for detecting ultrasonic waves.
• PVDF has a much higher bandwidth and will thus not distort the transient behavior of the wave as much.
• the low output capacitance problem can in this case be handled by integrating a high input impedance field effect transistor (FET) based preamplifier in very close proximity to the sensor.
• FET field effect transistor
• the acoustic impedance of piezo film is about 4 MRayls, a much better match.
• ceramics are fragile, and cannot be shaped to desired geometries.
• PVDF is a conformable and flexible low cost material with acoustic impedance close to tissue that unlike PZT will not need matching layers.
• PVDF piezoelectric films are produced in a clean room environment, and start with a melt extrusion of PVDF resin pellets into sheet form. Next, there is a stretching step that reduces the sheet thickness by about a factor of 5. This stretching, well below the melting point of the polymer, causes chain packing of the molecules into parallel crystal planes, called the "beta phase". To obtain high levels of piezoelectric activity, the beta phase polymer is then exposed to very high electric fields to align the crystallites relative to a poling field. In the stretching step, the film can be stretched along only one dimension (uni-axial film) or in both dimensions (bi-axial film). Bi-axial films will have their piezoelectric sensitivity primarily only in the thickness direction, while the uni-axial film will be sensitive to strain in both the thickness direction and the non-stretched planar direction.
• Copolymers of PVDF have been developed that allow for use at higher temperatures (e.g., as high as 135 degrees Celsius for some copolymers, versus 100 degrees Celsius for conventional PVDF). Although these temperatures are not encountered in clinical use, a higher temperature tolerance can be an advantage in simplifying the manufacturing and sterilization process.
• Copolymers of PVDF are polarizable without stretching and very thin films down to 200 Angstroms can be produced using spincast coating techniques, such thin layers are not feasible with standard PVDF.
• the copolymer has a slightly higher thickness mode piezoelectric constant, leading to about 10% higher sensitivity compared to PVDF.
• the present principles have been described in terms of a needle, and more particularly to a biopsy needle. However, the present principles may be applied to nay instrument where a piezoelectric sensor (receiver), transmitter or transducer is needed. Such devices may include catheters, guidewires, endoscopes, implantable devices, etc.
• the present principles can provide a relatively low cost device with a built-in for sensor conformally applied to an exterior surface. To keep the product cost down, the materials used need to be low cost, and the manufacturing process should be highly automated with large volume to avoid labor and equipment cost.
• the devices in accordance with the present principles provide a low form factor that is conformally formed and placed on a medical device or instrument. In
• the present principles are employed for ultrasound guided needle interventions, e.g., RF ablation, liver biopsy, nerve blocks, vascular access, abscess drainage, etc.
• a flexible planar strip having a plurality of layers including dielectric materials and sensor components is provided in accordance with the present embodiments.
• the sensor components may be completely on the strip, or partially on the strip and partially on the medical device
• the flexible planar strip is wrapped about a medical device to at least partially encapsulate the medical device.
• the flexible planar strip may be wrapped around a medical device, e.g., a needle, having a piezoelectric polymer coating such that a sensor electrode on the strip contacts the piezoelectric polymer to form the at least one sensor.
• the flexible planar strip is wrapped about at least a portion of a circumference of the device wherein the securing feature is configured to secure edges of the strip over the medical device.
• the flexible planar strip is spirally wrapped about the medical device.
• the flexible planar strip may include at least one thong that forms an angle with the strip such that when the strip is spiraled about the medical device, the thong forms a ring sensor around the medical device.
• the strip is secured to the medical device using a securing feature over the strip such that at least one sensor device is provided on the medical device by application of the strip on the medical device.
• the securing feature is configured to wrap around the strip and includes a conductor to form a shield and at least one dielectric layer (e.g., for the spirally wrapped embodiment).
• the conductor may include a wire with or without adhesive or dielectric thereon.
• the strip may include a conductive shield and a hub electrode on a proximal end portion, the conductive shield and the hub electrode may be cuffed to permit external electrical connections to the conductive shield and the hub electrode.
• an external connector is applied to electrically connect the sensor to electronics.
• the sensor or sensors can now be employed to make measurements.
• the sensors measure ultrasonic energy for guided needle applications. Other applications and devices are also contemplated.

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• 2015
  • 2015-03-31 JP JP2016559636A patent/JP6606095B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
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