US 12,064,229 B2
Surgical tools having electromagnetic tracking components
Christopher Sramek, Half Moon Bay, CA (US); Gregory J. Kintz, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Enrique Romo, Danville, CA (US); Nahid Sidki, Great Falls, VA (US); and Alan Yu, Union City, CA (US)
Assigned to Auris Health, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Auris Health, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/162,872.
Application 17/162,872 is a division of application No. 15/411,562, filed on Jan. 20, 2017, granted, now 10,932,691.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/287,370, filed on Jan. 26, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0145305 A1, May 20, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 5/06 (2006.01); A61B 1/005 (2006.01); A61B 1/018 (2006.01); A61B 1/06 (2006.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 5/065 (2013.01) [A61B 1/005 (2013.01); A61B 1/018 (2013.01); A61B 1/0676 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2051 (2016.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing a surgical tool comprising:
an elongate shaft including a flexible shaft portion and a rigid portion attached to the flexible shaft portion; and
a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) sensors disposed at least partially within the elongate shaft, the plurality of EM sensors including a first EM sensor and a second EM sensor, wherein:
the first EM sensor comprises a first coil and a first core; and
the second EM sensor comprises a second coil and a second core that extends beyond the second coil, the second EM sensor extending along a majority of a length of the rigid portion;
introducing a tip of the surgical tool into a luminal network of a patient;
determining a voltage measurement between the first and second EM sensors of the plurality of EM sensors, and
determining an orientation of the surgical tool based on the determined voltage measurement.