Catheter for magnetic navigation

• US 20040242995A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maschke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers

Abstract

A catheter for magnetic navigation in the human body, has a magnet arranged in the catheter tip in order to move a catheter to the desired position in the body by interaction with an external magnetic field, and has a number of separated electromagnets, that can be controlled independently of one another, distributed along the length of the catheter body.

Claims

1. A catheter for magnetic navigation in a human body by interacting with an external magnetic field, said catheter comprising:

an elongated catheter body terminating in a catheter tip;

a magnet disposed at said catheter tip adapted to interact with said external magnetic field to move said catheter to a desired position in a human body; and

a plurality of separated, independently controllable electromagnets disposed along said catheter body.

2. A catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnet at said catheter tip is a permanent magnet.

3. A catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnet at said catheter tip is an electromagnet.

4. A catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electromagnets are respectively controlled with a synchronously-clocked current.