Medical-device visualization systems and methods utilizing patient-based reference framing for shape sensing

Abstract

Medical-device visualization systems and methods utilize patient-based reference framing to improve shape sensing for elongate medical devices. A medical-device visualization system includes, in some embodiments, a stylet, patient-wearable sensors, and a console. The stylet includes an optical fiber and a field generator. Each of the patient-wearable sensors senses a field generated by the field generator. The console instantiates medical-device visualization processes for visualizing the elongate medical devices by way of at least the stylet. The medical-device visualization processes include a shape-sensing process, a registration process, and a reference-framing process. The shape-sensing process determines a shape of the stylet in real-time from reflected optical signals from the optical fiber. The registration process registers the distal tip of the stylet in real-time at each sensor of the patient-wearable sensors. And the reference-framing process places the stylet with its shape in a patient-based reference frame established by the patient-wearable sensors.