LOCATION TRACKING OF A METALLIC OBJECT IN A LIVING BODY
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in diagnostic imaging, comprising:
- a metal detector adapted for determining location of a metallic object in a living body;
an ultrasound probe; and
guiding means for directing said probe at the location determined by the metal detector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for determining and tracking location of a metallic object in a living body, and then directing a second modality such as ultrasound waves to the determined location. The metal detector may be a radar detector adapted to operate on a living body. The adaption may include disposing a transfer material having electromagnetic properties similar to the body between the radar detector and the living body, ECG gating the radar detector, and/or employing an optimal estimator with a model of expected stent movement in a living body. Applications include determination of extent of in-stent restenosis, performing therapeutic thrombolysis, or determining operational features of a metallic implant.
327 Citations
51 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use in diagnostic imaging, comprising:
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a metal detector adapted for determining location of a metallic object in a living body; an ultrasound probe; and guiding means for directing said probe at the location determined by the metal detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. Apparatus for in-vivo determination of extent of restenosis within a stent deployed in a body of a person or animal, comprising:
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a radar detector for determining and tracking location of the deployed stent within the body; an ultrasound probe for measuring fluid flow; and guiding means for establishing a common geometric frame of reference for the radar detector and the ultrasonic probe, and for guiding the probe to measure fluid flow at the location determined by the radar detector, whereby extent of in-stent restenosis can be determined from measured fluid flow. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method for locating a metallic object in a living body, comprising:
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adapting a radar detector to interface with a living body; directing a radar beam from the radar detector at the body to produce a returned radar signal; receiving the returned radar signal; and determining and tracking location of the metallic object in the living body from the returned radar signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47)
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44. A method for determining fluid flow within a metallic object in a living body, comprising:
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metallic object localization by determining and tracking location of the metallic object in the body with a metal detector; guiding an ultrasound probe to the location determined by the metal detector; and measuring fluid flow at the location with the ultrasound probe. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for determining extent of restenosis within a stent deployed in a living body, comprising:
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determining and tracking location of the deployed stent in the body with a radar detector; measuring fluid flow with an ultrasound probe at the location determined by the radar detector; and determining extent of restenosis within the deployed stent from measured fluid flow.
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Specification