Catheter with strain gauge sensor

摘要

A medical probe, including a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and which is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity. The probe further includes a sensor tube of an elastic material, contained inside the distal end of the insertion tube and configured to deform in response to forces exerted by the tissue on the distal end. The probe also includes a plurality of strain gauges fixedly attached to a surface of the sensor tube at different, respective locations and configured to generate respective signals in response to deformations of the sensor tube.

主权项

1. A medical probe, comprising:
a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and which is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity; a sensor tube comprising an elastic material, contained inside the distal end of the insertion tube and configured to deform in response to forces exerted by the tissue on the distal end; a plurality of strain gauges fixedly attached to a surface of the sensor tube at different, respective locations and configured to generate respective signals in response to deformations of the sensor tube; and at least one temperature-compensating strain gauge configured to generate signals to compensate for changes in temperature of the plurality of strain gauges, wherein the at least one temperature-compensating strain gauge is mounted on a block having a block-thermal mass, and wherein the sensor tube has a sensor-tube-thermal mass equal to the block-thermal mass.