Medical tube and system for locating the same in a body using passive integrated transponders
First Claim
1. A medical device comprising a medical tube and at least one passive integrated transponder associated with said tube, said transponder enabling ascertainment of the location of said tube during and/or following insertion of said tube into a body.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical tube has one or more permanent passive integrated transponders associated therewith that are capable of being located by a detection apparatus which senses the electromagnetic field strength gradient generated by each passive integrated transponder associated with the medical tube and indicates the value of the gradient to the user. In one embodiment, the passive integrated transponder is associated with the distal end of an endotracheal medical tube in a fixed orientation with an electromagnetic field pointing at a preferred angle of no more than 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the medical tube. The passive integrated transponder'"'"'s static electromagnetic field is sensed by the detection apparatus and indicates the location of the distal end of the medical tube within a body.
36 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A medical device comprising a medical tube and at least one passive integrated transponder associated with said tube, said transponder enabling ascertainment of the location of said tube during and/or following insertion of said tube into a body.
- 8. Medical apparatus comprising a medical tube, at least one passive integrated transponder associated with said tube, and a radio frequency scanner for sensing said at least one transponder during and/or following insertion of said tube into a body for ascertaining the location of said tube within the body.
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14. A system for detecting the location of a medical tube within a body comprising
a medical tube for insertion into a body and at least one permanent passive integrated transponder associated with the medical tube, the permanent passive integrated transponder generating a static electromagnetic field of sufficient strength to permit detection of the electromagnetic field when the medical tube is inserted into a body, the passive integrated transponder being associated with the medical tube and oriented at an angle that is no more than 15 degrees to a longitudinal axis of the medical tube, and detection apparatus scannable over a body comprising an electromagnetic field strength sensor for sensing electromagnetic field strength and means operatively associated with the electromagnetic field strength sensor for indicating electromagnetic field strength signals received by the sensor, said detection apparatus being scannable over the body for sensing the electromagnetic field strength signals of said at least one transponder for sensing the location and orientation of the transponder and thus the location and orientation of the medical tube within the body.
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20. A method of locating a medical tube within a body comprising the steps of:
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affixing a permanent passive integrated transponder that generates a electromagnetic field to a medical tube prior to insertion of the tube into a body, and during and/or after insertion of the tube into the body scanning the body with an electromagnetic field strength sensor for sensing the transponder'"'"'s electromagnetic field for ascertaining the location of the transponder and thus the location of the medical tube within the body.
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Specification