LOCATION SYSTEM WITH VIRTUAL TOUCH SCREEN
First Claim
1. Apparatus for invasive medical operations in the body of a living subject, comprising:
- one or more field generating elements disposed at known locations for generating magnetic fields at respective frequencies;
a medical instrument adapted for insertion into said body, and having a first magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits first signals responsively to said magnetic fields;
an interface device having a second magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits second signals responsively to said magnetic fields;
a position processor operative to receive said first signals and said second signals and to determine respective positions of said interface device and said medical instrument relative to said known locations, responsively to said first signals and said second signals; and
a display device operative to display an image responsively to said position of said medical instrument, said display device having a cursor moveable thereon under control of said position processor responsively to changes in said position of said interface device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Control of an invasive medical instrument during a medical procedure is achieved using a system that includes magnetic field-based location facilities. Magnetic field sensors are placed in a medical instrument, e.g., a probe, and in an interface device to enable respective positions of the probe and the interface device to be ascertained by a location processor when the sensors are exposed to a magnetic field. The interface device is disposed such that an operator can control the medical instrument and the interface device concurrently. A display device, which can comprise a virtual reality display, is responsive to movements of the interface device as determined by the location processor to control the medical instrument, invoke various functions of the system, e.g., image manipulation, and otherwise facilitate the medical procedure via a graphical user interface.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. Apparatus for invasive medical operations in the body of a living subject, comprising:
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one or more field generating elements disposed at known locations for generating magnetic fields at respective frequencies; a medical instrument adapted for insertion into said body, and having a first magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits first signals responsively to said magnetic fields; an interface device having a second magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits second signals responsively to said magnetic fields; a position processor operative to receive said first signals and said second signals and to determine respective positions of said interface device and said medical instrument relative to said known locations, responsively to said first signals and said second signals; and a display device operative to display an image responsively to said position of said medical instrument, said display device having a cursor moveable thereon under control of said position processor responsively to changes in said position of said interface device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for invasive medical operations in the body of a living subject, comprising:
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a medical instrument adapted for insertion into an anatomical structure in said body, and having one or more first field generating elements for generating first magnetic fields at respective frequencies; an interface device having one or more second field generating elements for generating second magnetic fields at respective frequencies; a magnetic position sensor at a known location that emits first signals responsively to said first magnetic fields, and that emits second signals responsively to said second magnetic fields; a position processor operative to receive said first signals and said second signals and to determine respective positions of said interface device and said medical instrument relative to said known location, responsively to said first signals and said second signals; and a display device operative to display an image responsively to said position of said medical instrument, said display device having a cursor moveable thereon under control of said position processor, movements of said cursor being controlled by said position processor responsively to changes in said position of said interface device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer aided method for performing invasive medical operations in the body of a living subject, comprising the steps of:
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generating magnetic fields in the vicinity of said body; inserting a medical instrument into said body; determining a position of said medical instrument, responsively to said magnetic fields; determining a position of an interface device, responsively to said magnetic fields; displaying an image on a display device, responsively to said position of said medical instrument; and displaying a cursor, moveable responsively to changes in said position of said interface device, on said display device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for imaging an anatomical structure on virtual reality goggles, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a medical instrument into said anatomical structure, in proximity to one or more field generating elements disposed at known locations for generating magnetic fields at respective frequencies, wherein said medical instrument has a first magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits first signals responsively to said magnetic fields; determining a position of said medical instrument, relative to said known locations, responsively to said first signals; acquiring an image of said anatomical structure using said medical instrument, responsively to said position of said medical instrument; receiving second signals from one or more second magnetic position sensors, coupled to at least one display device, wherein said virtual reality goggles comprise said at least one display device; determining positions of said at least one display device, relative to said known locations, responsively to said second signals; obtaining two-dimensional projections of said image responsively to said positions of said at least one display device; and displaying said two-dimensional projections on said at least one display device.
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21. A system for imaging an anatomical structure, comprising:
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one or more field generating elements disposed at known locations for generating magnetic fields at respective frequencies; a medical instrument adapted for insertion into said anatomical structure, and having a first magnetic position sensor coupled thereto that emits first signals responsively to said magnetic fields; virtual reality goggles that comprise one or more second magnetic position sensors, that emit second signals responsively to said magnetic fields, and at least one display device; and a position processor operative to receive said first signals and said second signals, to determine a position of said medical instrument relative to said known locations, responsively to said first signals, to acquire an image of said anatomical structure using said medical instrument, responsively to said position of said medical instrument, to determine positions of said at least one display device, relative to said known locations, responsively to said second signals, to obtain two-dimensional projections of said image responsively to said positions of said at least one display device, and to display said two-dimensional projections on said at least one display device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification