Electromagnetic Guiding Tube for Elongated Medical Implants

Abstract

The present invention relates to a guiding tube for placing medical implants within body tissue, comprising an elongated, dimensionally stable tubular body encompassing an inner channel adapted to receive a medical implant, wherein the tubular body comprises at least one electromagnetic element, which is configured to exert an electromagnetic force on at least one magnetic element of the medical implant inserted into the inner channel. The present invention further relates to a corresponding medical implant for being placed within body tissue, particularly a stimulation lead, specifically a deep brain stimulation lead comprising at least one directional electrode, having an elongated body portion that is adapted to be inserted into an inner channel enclosed by a tubular body of a guiding tube, wherein at least one magnetic element provided on or in the body portion. The present invention further relates to a corresponding stimulation lead placing system and a corresponding computer program for placing a medical implant.

Claims

1. A guiding tube for placing medical implants within body tissue, comprising: an elongated, dimensionally stable tubular body encompassing an inner channel adapted to receive a medical implant; wherein the tubular body comprises at least one electromagnetic element, which is configured to exert an electromagnetic force on at least one magnetic element of the medical implant inserted into the inner channel.

2. The guiding tube according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is adapted to receive a stimulation lead comprising at least one directional electrode.

3. The guiding tube according to claim 2, wherein the stimulation lead is a deep brain stimulation lead.

4. The guiding tube according to claim 1 wherein the guiding tube is adapted to be advanced through body tissue.

5. The guiding tube according to claim 1, further comprising at least one tracking marker coupled to the tubular body, the at least one tracking marker being adapted to be identified by a medical tracking system.

6. The guiding tube according to claim 5, wherein the medical tracking system is a non-optical IGS-tracking system.

7. The guiding tube according to claim 1, wherein at least one electromagnetic element is provided at a distal portion of the guiding tube.

8. The guiding tube according to claim 7, wherein the distal portion of the guiding tube is a portion adjoining at least one directional electrode of a stimulation lead inserted into the inner channel.

9. The guiding tube according to claim 1, wherein at least one electromagnetic element has a shape that, viewed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, at least partially runs around the circumference of the tubular body.

10. A medical implant for being placed within body tissue comprising: at least one directional electrode having an elongated body portion that is adapted to be inserted into an inner channel encompassed by a tubular body of a guiding tube; wherein at least one magnetic element is provided on or in the body portion.

11. The medical implant according to claim 10, wherein at least one magnetic element is provided at a distal portion of the medical implant.

12. The medical implant according to claim 10, wherein at least one magnetic element has ferromagnetic properties.

13. The medical implant according to claim 10, wherein at least one magnetic element has electromagnetic properties.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which a program is stored, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the steps of: acquiring guiding tube position data describing the spatial position of a guiding tube, the guiding tube comprising a longitudinal, dimensionally stable tubular body encompassing an inner channel adapted to receive a medical implant; acquiring relative position data describing the position of the medical implant; determining, based on the guiding tube position data and the relative position data, absolute position data describing the absolute spatial position of the medical implant.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein data describing the spatial position of at least one anatomical structure to be treated is acquired and data as to the position of the medical implant is determined and transmitted to a medical navigation system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the relative position data describes the position of at least one directional electrode relative to the guiding tube.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the absolute position data describes the absolute spatial position of at least one directional electrode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0054] In the following, the invention is described with reference to the enclosed Figures which represent preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is not however limited to the specific features disclosed in the Figures, which show:

[0055] FIG. 1 a guiding tube according to the present invention and a corresponding stimulation lead to be introduced therein;

[0056] FIG. 2 a cross-sectional view on the guiding tube and the stimulation lead shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0057] FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the inventive guiding tube 1 which comprises a tubular body 2 that encompasses a longitudinal channel 3. For being advanced through brain tissue towards a target region to be treated by DBS, a stimulation lead 4 having a longitudinal flexible body 9 and several directional stimulation electrodes 11 at its distal portion is inserted into the channel 3 of the guiding tube 1 which has already been placed in the brain tissue to provide a desired trajectory for the stimulation lead 4 to the target region. As soon as the ferromagnetic elements 6 at the distal portion of the stimulation lead 4 reaches the vicinity of the electromagnetic element 5, the electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnet 5 takes effect and the magnetic elements 6 will be aligned along the field lines of the electromagnetic field. Each of the magnetic elements 6 maintain the alignment with respect to the electromagnetic field as long as the electromagnetic element 5 generates the electromagnetic field, even while the DBS lead 4 is advanced further through the channel 3.

[0058] The spatial position of the guiding tube 1 is tracked by means of a sensor array 8 of a medical tracking system, which identifies the medical tracking markers 7 that have a rigid connection to the tubular body 2 of the guiding tube 1. With the orientation of the DBS-lead within the guiding tube 1 secured, it is possible to calculate the orientation of each of the stimulation electrodes 11 with respect to the guiding tube 1. Further, as the position and geometry of the patient anatomy is also known to the medical navigation system, a desired placement of the lead 4 within the target can be ascertained. Computer 10 further comprises a control unit 1 for automatically switching the electromagnetic element 5 on and off.

[0059] After the DBS-lead 4 has been placed at a desired location and with a desired orientation, the electromagnetic element 5 can be switched off and the guiding tube 1 can be withdrawn from the patient, leaving the DBS-lead at the target region for subsequent DBS-procedures.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the guiding tube 1 together with the stimulation lead 4 being placed with its body portion 9 within channel 3 encompassed by the tubular body 2. FIG. 2 rather schematically depicts an electromagnetic force F which is applied on the magnetic element 6 by switching on the electromagnetic element 5. As long as the electromagnetic element 5 provided with the tubular body 2 is switched on, the electromagnetic element 6 will, together with the body 9 of the DBS lead 4, align with the field lines and therefore bring the electrodes 11 (shown in FIG. 1) into a desired orientation with respect to the guiding tube.