System and method for facilitating manual and/or automatic volumetric imaging with real-time tension or force feedback using a tethered imaging device

摘要

According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, apparatus, device and method can be provided which can provide imaging of biological tissues, e.g., luminal organs in vivo, using optical techniques in an automatic or semiautomatic manner. The exemplary apparatus, device and method can utilize a tethered capsule catheter with a mechanism for manual, semi-automatic or automatic traversing in the luminal organ with a controlled velocity and/or image quality. The exemplary apparatus can include feedback information about tension applied to the catheter during its movement that can be used to adjust velocity and assure patient comfort and safety for example during passing through natural sphincters and/or narrowing of the luminal organs and preventing from breaking of the catheter. The exemplary apparatus can also adjust velocity in order to provide good quality of acquired images, for example to engaged peristalsis and provide contact with the tissue. In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the exemplary mechanism for a controlled advancement of the catheter can be positioned outside of the patient's mouth, and can include a position sensor providing information about the position of the capsule in respect to the luminal organ for orientation of the acquired data.