Data communication with interventional instruments

摘要

The invention relates to a data communication system (100) and a method that can particularly be applied for communicating data from a medical instrument like a catheter or a guide-wire via a high-speedlink (101). The system (100) comprises (in-vivo) a slave component (150) with a controllable slave clock (153) and a transmitter (151) for transmitting a data signal (ds) that is clocked by the slave clock signal (clk). Moreover, it comprises (ex-vivo) a master component (110) with a clock controller (114,115,116) that receives a master clock signal (ref_clk) and the data signal (ds) and that generates a clock control signal (ccs) for adjusting the slave clock (153) to the master clock (113). The slave clock (153) may thus be realized with low space and energy requirements, e.g. by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Moreover, the link (101) via which the data signal (ds) and the clock control signal (ccs) are exchanged may be realized by just two signal wires.

主权项

1. A medical system, comprising:
a) an interventional instrument including a slave component further including:
a1) a controlled oscillator for generating a slave clock signal in response to a received clock control signal via a link, anda2) a transmitter for transmitting a data signal that is clocked by the slave clock signal on the link, the data signal includes encoded data from sensors, actuators, or imaging devices; and b) external equipment including a master component further including:
b1) a receiver for receiving said data signal via the link,b2) a master clock unit for generating a master clock signal, andb3) a clock controller being configured to i) receive the master clock signal and the data signal, ii) recover the slave clock signal from the received data signal, and iii) compare the frequency of the recovered slave clock signal and the master in order to generate the clock control signal for adjusting the controlled oscillator to the master clock unit,b4) a transmitter for transmitting at least the clock control signal via the link; and c) the link includes at least two wires.