The CathEye: A Forward-Looking Ultrasound Catheter for Image-Guided Cardiovascular Procedures

Catheter-based procedures suffer from a lack of visualization due to the use of 2-D X-ray to guide 3-D operations and the lack of soft tissue contrast, which leaves the surgeon blind to the morphology of the anatomy. We propose using the CathEye, a high-precision steerable catheter with an integrated 40MHz ultrasound transducer, to create wide FOV, 3-D images of the surgical workspace. The CathEye uses an expandable cable-driven parallel mechanism to provide localized control and tracking of the distal tip of the catheter relative to the anatomy. Ultrasound signals are acquired simultaneously with position data to generate a 3-D surface reconstruction. The imaging capabilities of the CathEye were evaluated by confining the device to various tortuous paths and scanning a tissue-mimicking phantom and an ex vivo lesion. The CathEye can track an interventional tool overtop the generated image, allowing for an interventional device fully integrated with image guidance.