Method for implanting a fiducial implant into a patient
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for implanting a fiducial implant into a patient comprising the steps of:
- a. piercing the skin of a patient adjacent an anchoring site to form an opening therein, including pacing a trocar with a piercing rod therein over a desired anchoring site;
forcing the piercing rod through the skin so that the trocar enters the skin;
removing the piercing rod from the trocar which remains in place; and
inserting a rod with a fiducial implant into the trocar such that the fiducial implant is positioned on the desired anchoring site;
b. placing the fiducial implant into the opening in the skin over a desired anchoring site in the patient including the steps of applying force to the rod with the fiducial implant so that the fiducial implant is fixedly inserted into the anchoring site and removing the rod and trocar from the patient; and
c. inserting the fiducial implant into the anchoring site.
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Abstract
The present invention pertains to a fiducial implant for the human body that is detectable by an imaging system. The invention is comprised of a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to be detected by an imaging system when placed beneath the skin. The second portion is configured for fixed attachment to a bone beneath the skin without penetrating entirely through the bone and without fracturing the bone. The first portion is sufficiently large and comprised of a material for detection by an imaging system, and sufficiently small to avoid the distortion of the skin when placed at an interface between the skin and the bone. The first portion also has at least a portion which is spherical and defines a surface for cooperating with a tool for securing the second portion to the bone. Additionally, the placement of three fiducial implants into a portion of anatomy of the human body allows for the recreation of a particular image slice of the portion of the anatomy taken by an imaging system with respect to a first time period, at subsequent imaging sessions and also with different scan modalities. This provides a doctor with the ability to accurately follow the progress of the portion of the anatomy of interest. Moreover, the existence of three fiducial implants allows a target to be identified within the portion of anatomy relative to an external coordinate system. The portion of anatomy with the target may then be operated on, for instance, robotically, or precisely irradiated.
376 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for implanting a fiducial implant into a patient comprising the steps of:
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a. piercing the skin of a patient adjacent an anchoring site to form an opening therein, including pacing a trocar with a piercing rod therein over a desired anchoring site;
forcing the piercing rod through the skin so that the trocar enters the skin;
removing the piercing rod from the trocar which remains in place; and
inserting a rod with a fiducial implant into the trocar such that the fiducial implant is positioned on the desired anchoring site;b. placing the fiducial implant into the opening in the skin over a desired anchoring site in the patient including the steps of applying force to the rod with the fiducial implant so that the fiducial implant is fixedly inserted into the anchoring site and removing the rod and trocar from the patient; and c. inserting the fiducial implant into the anchoring site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification