Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing dynamic data of positional localization of target implants
First Claim
1. A target locating and in vivo sensor system adapted for use with a therapy delivery and/or imaging source, comprising:
- an external solenoid member;
a mechanism operably associated with the external solenoid member, wherein, in operation, the mechanism is configured to controllably move the solenoid external of a patient;
a controller configured to direct the movement of the mechanism, the controller being in communication with a power source configured to power the external solenoid;
at least one implantable wireless unit comprising a solenoid, wherein, in operation, the unit solenoid held internally in the patient cooperates with the external solenoid to generate a coupling signal having a signal strength that varies based on the position of the external solenoid member relative to the implanted unit; and
a computer module in communication with the controller comprising computer program code that evaluates the coupling signal strength in relation to the position of the external solenoid and determines the position of the at least one internally implanted unit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems for locating implanted in vivo sensors systems adapted for use with an external beam radiation therapy delivery source include: (a) an external solenoid member; (b) an articulated arm opertively associated with the external solenoid member, wherein, in operation, the articulated arm is configured to translate the solenoid; (c) a controller configured to direct the movement of the articulated arm, the controller being in communication with the power source configured to power the external solenoid; (d) at least one implantable sensors unit, wherein the at least one implantable sensor unit is configured to sense at least one predetermined parameter of interest in vivo, and wherein the at least one implantable sensor unit comprises a solenoid, and wherein, in operation, the sensor unit solenoid corporates with the external solenoid to generate a magnetic coupling signal having a signal strength that varies based on the possession of the external solenoid member relative to the implanted sensors unit; (e) a computer module in communication with the controller comprising computer programmed code that evaluates the coupling signal strength in relation to the position of the external solenoid and determines the position of the at least one sensor unit; and (f) an external reader configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one implantable sensor unit to obtain data associated with the at least one predetermined parameter of interest.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A target locating and in vivo sensor system adapted for use with a therapy delivery and/or imaging source, comprising:
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an external solenoid member;
a mechanism operably associated with the external solenoid member, wherein, in operation, the mechanism is configured to controllably move the solenoid external of a patient;
a controller configured to direct the movement of the mechanism, the controller being in communication with a power source configured to power the external solenoid;
at least one implantable wireless unit comprising a solenoid, wherein, in operation, the unit solenoid held internally in the patient cooperates with the external solenoid to generate a coupling signal having a signal strength that varies based on the position of the external solenoid member relative to the implanted unit; and
a computer module in communication with the controller comprising computer program code that evaluates the coupling signal strength in relation to the position of the external solenoid and determines the position of the at least one internally implanted unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of obtaining spatial data and radiation dose data regarding a target in vivo treatment site, comprising:
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implanting at least one sensor unit proximate and/or in a target treatment site of a patient;
sensing in vivo at least one predetermined parameter of interest using the implanted sensor unit;
wirelessly transmitting data associated with the sensed at least one parameter from the at least one sensor unit to an external reader;
providing an external coupling member located external of the patient proximate the target treatment site, the coupling member being configured to cooperate with the at least one implanted sensor to generate a coupling signal with a signal strength that varies in relation to the position of the coupling member with respect to the at least one sensor unit;
moving the coupling member;
detecting the signal strength of the coupling signal at a plurality of locations traveled based on the moving step; and
determining the position of the at least one sensor unit in the body based on the detecting step, thereby having the implanted sensor unit act as a positional marker and an in vivo sensor.
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24-33. -33. (canceled)
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34. A computer program product for obtaining spatial data regarding the position of at least one implanted sensor, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code comprising;
computer readable program code for determining the spatial location of a selected one of the at least one implanted sensor units using input data associated with variation in signal strength of a coupling signal generated by an external solenoid and the at least one sensor unit over different known external positions of the external solenoid.
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35-40. -40. (canceled)
Specification