Summary
Vanderbilt researchers have developed a new system to detect the position, orientation, and pressure exerted on surrounding tissues of a wireless capsule endoscopy device. Magnetic coupling is one of the few physical phenomena capable of transmitting actuation forces across a physical barrier. Magnetic manipulation has the potential to make surgery less invasive, by allowing untethered miniature devices to enter the body through natural orifices or tiny incisions, and then maneuver with minimal disruption to healthy tissue. In order to accomplish this goal, the pose (position and orientation) of the medical device must be available in real time. The method detailed here aims to accomplish this task.
Background
Technology Description
Magnetic capsules are usually coupled with an external source of magnetic field that controls their position and orientation. A set of sensors (e.g. magnetometer, inertial sensor, etc.) are placed inside the capsule. The information detected by these sensors is wirelessly transmitted to an external system in real-time. This external system determines the absolute position of the capsule along with the magnetic and inertial forces acting on it. Given force and capsule dimension, the pressure on the capsule is determined.
Advantages
Potential Applications
Intellectual Property Status