Thin Film Magnetic Sensors for Ultrathin Bronchoscope Navigation

描述（由申请人提供）：Koronis生物医学技术公司（KBT）提议使用先进的薄膜磁传感器技术开发超薄支气管镜导航系统。最近在半导体加工行业的技术创新使这一计划在技术上可以实现。利用先进的基于磁的定位技术来提供实时导航成像，而无需透视引导是非常可取的。超薄支气管镜中的这种定位系统允许操作员在肺周围导航，并在活检工具接近周围病变时跟踪其路径。公共卫生相关性：拟议项目涉及超薄支气管镜的导航。在美国，每年报告的孤立性肺结节超过15万例，每一个结节都可能表明肺癌的存在。支气管镜检查用于定位患者支气管的异常，如有必要，可进行活检。全世界每年有超过300万例支气管镜检查。大多数目标肺病变位于大支气管镜无法到达的肺外周区域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Koronis Biomedical Technology Corporation (KBT) proposes to develop a navigation system for ultra-thin bronchoscopes using advanced thin-film magnetic sensor technology. Recent technological innovations in the semiconductor processing industry make this program technically achievable at this time. The use of advanced magnetic-based localization technology to provide real-time navigation imaging without fluoroscopic guidance is highly desirable. Such a localization system in an ultra-thin bronchoscope allows an operator to navigate within the periphery of the lung and track the path of a biopsy tool as it approaches a peripheral lesion. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project relates to the navigation of ultra-thin bronchoscopes. More than 150,000 solitary pulmonary nodules are reported annually in the US, each of which may indicate the presence of lung cancer. Bronchoscopy is used to locate anomalies in a patient's bronchus and if necessary, take a biopsy. Over 3,000,000 bronchoscopies are performed annually worldwide. The majority of target lung lesions are located in the peripheral areas of the lungs where large bronchoscopes cannot reach.