MEDICAL MARKER MEANS

• US 20070263375A1
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: BIRKENBACH, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 7,527,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

A medical marker trackable by a medical navigation system includes a marker body and a luminescence agent within the marker body. The luminescence agent is operative to emit light without an electrical power supply coupled to the luminescence agent.

Claims

1. A medical marker trackable by a medical navigation system, comprising:

a marker body; and

a luminescence agent within the marker body, said luminescence agent operative to emit light without an electrical power supply coupled to the luminescence agent.

2. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent luminesces according to at least one of chemoluminescence, photoluminescence, electroluminescence or radioluminescence.

3. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent includes of a number of substances illuminate when mixed together.

4. The marker according to claim 3, further comprising a fastening device, wherein when the fastening device is activated or fixed, mixing of the substances is triggered.

5. The marker according to claim 4, wherein fixing the fastening device opens a container including a first substance situated within a space including a second substance.

6. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent emits in the infrared range.

7. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent solely or at least partially emits in the range of visible light.

8. The marker according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator operative to show when the luminosity of the luminescence agent decreases or ebbs.

9. The marker according to claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises the illuminating portion of the luminescence agent emitting light in the visible light range and the infrared range.

10. The marker according to claim 1, further comprising a number of marker bodies or a number of groups of marker bodies, the luminescence agent of which illuminates in a different color in each group or body.

11. The marker according to claim 10, wherein the marker bodies or groups of marker bodies are attached to an instrument or treatment means, said marker bodies or groups of marker bodies being color-coded and characteristic of the respective instrument or treatment means.

12. The marker according to claim 11, wherein the instrument comprises marker bodies or groups of marker bodies in the same colour.

13. The marker according to claim 11, wherein the instrument comprises marker bodies or groups of marker bodies in different colours.

14. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the marker body forms an insert that is insertable into a receptacle of an instrument or treatment means, wherein translucent openings are provided in or on the receptacle to enable light emitted by the marker body to pass through instrument.