Method and apparatus for locating vibrating devices
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic imaging system including an ultrasonic imaging transducer which transmits send pulses and receives reflected pulses corresponding thereto for use in locating an interventional medical device within an interior region of a body under investigation, comprising:
- vibrator means operative to transmit vibratory mechanical oscillation at a predetermined frequency of vibration to said interventional medical device and to cause said medical device to oscillate in accordance therewith, said interventional medical device completing one oscillation during a vibratory period;
means for supplying a sequence of said send pulses separated in time by an interval determined as a function of said vibratory period to said imaging transducer; and
processing means responsive to said reflected pulses for providing a signal indicative of the position of said medical device, wherein said processing means receives and stores a corresponding reflected pulse signal for each send pulse and compensates for static tissue signal components in said reflected pulses.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic imaging system for guiding a user in the placement of an interventional medical device within the body includes a vibrating element which transmits vibratory mechanical oscillation at a predetermined frequency of vibration to the interventional medical device. The medical device oscillates in accordance with the vibratory oscillation so that the interventional medical device completes an oscillation during each vibratory period. An imaging transducer sequentially transmits ultrasonic waves down a selected image line into the imaging region in pulses which are separated by a time interval determined as a function of the vibratory period so that they coincide with maximum displacement of a given point on the interventional device. Return signals received after each pulse are processed to eliminate static and non-static tissue components so that a bright image of the vibrating element is obtained.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic imaging system including an ultrasonic imaging transducer which transmits send pulses and receives reflected pulses corresponding thereto for use in locating an interventional medical device within an interior region of a body under investigation, comprising:
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vibrator means operative to transmit vibratory mechanical oscillation at a predetermined frequency of vibration to said interventional medical device and to cause said medical device to oscillate in accordance therewith, said interventional medical device completing one oscillation during a vibratory period; means for supplying a sequence of said send pulses separated in time by an interval determined as a function of said vibratory period to said imaging transducer; and processing means responsive to said reflected pulses for providing a signal indicative of the position of said medical device, wherein said processing means receives and stores a corresponding reflected pulse signal for each send pulse and compensates for static tissue signal components in said reflected pulses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for imaging placement of an interventional medical device within an interior region of a body comprising the steps of:
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ultrasonically imaging said interior region with an ultrasonic imaging system which produces a structural image of said interior region; inserting an interventional medical device into the imaged region; vibrating said medical device at a predetermined frequency, said interventional medical device completing one vibratory oscillation during a vibratory period; and processing reflected pulse signals corresponding to said send pulses, wherein said processing includes compensating for static tissue signal components in said reflected pulse signals and developing a visual signal from said return echo signals for locational display of said medical device with respect to the ultrasonically imaged region. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification