MEDICAL DEVICE POSITION GUIDANCE SYSTEM WITH WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN A NONINVASIVE DEVICE AND AN INVASIVE DEVICE

• US 20080097475A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viasys Holdings, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Witt, Mark C., Killam, Joseph P., Kay, Donald A., Zachara, Christopher, Manzella, Salvatore, Shapiro, Alan R., Shaughnessy, Michael C., Platt, David K., Purnell, Shawn G., Moy, King Y., Jaggi, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes

Abstract

A medical device position guidance system having a noninvasive medical device communicable with an invasive medical device. The system provides outputs useful to assess the position of an invasive medical device in an animal, such as a human. A magnetic field is used to gather information about the position of the invasive device. Radio waves are used to communicate this information between the noninvasive device and the invasive device.

Claims

1. A medical device position guidance system comprising:

a device positionable over a surface of an animal, the device having;

(a) at least one magnetic field generator operable to generate a magnetic field,

(b) at least one antenna,

(c) at least one processor, and

(d) at least one battery; and

an assembly having;

(a) a conductor including at least one wire, the wire having a first end and a second end, an electric impulse inducible in the second end by the magnetic field when the magnetic field is directed toward and reaches the second end;

(b) a tube having a first end and a second end, the second end configured to be inserted into the animal, the tube configured to support the wire so that the second end of the wire is positionable adjacent to the second end of the tube,

(c) at least one antenna, other than the antenna of the device, which is operatively coupled to the conductor, and

(d) at least one battery.

2. The medical device position guidance system of claim 1, wherein the assembly includes a transmitter, the transmitter including:

(a) the antenna of the assembly, and

(b) a processor, other than the processor of the device, operable to convert a series of electrical impulses received from the conductor to a series of modulated radio waves.

3. The medical device position guidance system of claim 2, wherein the modulated radio waves are emitted from the antenna of the assembly.

4. The medical device position guidance system of claim 2, wherein the device includes a receiver operable to convert a series of the modulated radio waves into a series of electrical impulses, the receiver including the antenna of the device.

5. The medical device position guidance system of claim 4, wherein the modulated radio waves include information usable to assist in guiding a placement of the second end of the tube in the animal.

6. The medical device position guidance system of claim 5, wherein the assembly includes a processor operable to receive the electrical impulses and cause the antenna of the assembly to provide the modulated radio waves.

7. The medical device position guidance system of claim 1, wherein the device includes a subassembly operatively coupled to a main body of the device, the subassembly including the battery, the antenna, and an additional processor operable to convert modulated radio waves received by the antenna into electrical impulses.

8. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end defining at least one opening;

a conductor supported by the catheter and including at least one wire having a proximal end and a distal end, a current inducible in the distal end by the magnetic field when the magnetic field is directed toward and reaches the distal end;

a processor operable to convert the current sent through the wire into radio waves;

at least one antenna operatively coupled to the processor; and

a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device including at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause the antenna to emit the radio waves; and

a battery operatively connectable to the processor.

9. The catheter assembly of claim 8, wherein the distal end of the wire includes a coil.

10. The catheter assembly of claim 8, wherein the antenna is powered by the battery and is operable to emit the radio waves.

11. The catheter assembly of claim 8, comprising:

(a) a noninvasive housing which supports the processor, the memory device and the battery; and

(b) a battery connector supported by the noninvasive housing, the battery connector being movable between;

(i) a first position in which the battery is electrically disconnected from the processor; and

(ii) a second position in which the battery is electrically connected to the processor.

12. The catheter assembly of claim 8, comprising an invasive portion and a non-invasive portion.

13. The catheter assembly of claim 12, wherein the non-invasive portion includes the battery, the processor, the antenna and the memory device.

14. The catheter assembly of claim 12, wherein the invasive portion includes the distal end of the catheter, the distal end of the wire, and a coil.

15. The catheter assembly of claim 14, wherein the distal end of the wire is removable from the distal end of the catheter.

18. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the indicator includes at least one visual output device.

19. The medical device of claim 18, wherein the indicator further includes at least one audio output device.

16. A medical device comprising:

at least one magnetic field generator operable to generate a magnetic field;

at least one antenna;

at least one processor configured to receive radio waves through the antenna and convert the radio waves into a series of electrical impulses;

at least one indicator operatively coupled to the processor;

at least one memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device including at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause the indicator to output information relating to a position of the magnetic field generator relative to a position of an invasive medical device inserted in an animal; and

at least one battery operatively coupled to the processor.

17. The medical device of claim 16, including a main assembly housing supporting the battery and the processor, and including a subassembly operatively coupled to the main assembly housing, the subassembly supporting:

(a) an additional battery;

(b) an additional processor; and

(c) the antenna.

20. A medical device comprising:

a guidewire;

an elongated conductor axially twisted about the guidewire, the conductor including;

(a) a proximal end;

(b) an invasive distal end, the invasive distal end configured to be inserted into an animal, an electric current being inducible in the invasive distal end by a magnetic field;

a processor operable to convert the electric current sent through the elongated conductor into radio waves;

at least one antenna operatively coupled to the processor; and

a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device including at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause the antenna to emit the radio waves; and

at least one battery operatively connectable to the processor.