Tool for implanting a fiducial marker

• US 5,595,193 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marker
• Original Assignee: Jennifer J. Mccrory, John A. Santangelo, Raphael Meloul, Richard L. Walus
• Inventors: Meloul, Raphael, Santangelo, John A., Walus, Richard L., McCrory, Jennifer J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael Powell
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEONARDO, MARK
• Application Number:
  US08/471,451
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 606/79, 606/80, 606/96, 606/98, 606/116, 606/167, 606/186, 606/185, 606/60, 606/130, 403/293, 403/292, 403/326, 128/898
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/16 Bone cutting, breaking or removal means other than saws, e.g. Osteoclasts; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016; dental implant drills potentially for other surgical use A61C8/0089; bone grinders A61F2/4644, A22C17/06; A61B17/1662 takes precedence over all other subgroups except A61B17/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8872 Instruments for putting said fixation devices against or away from the bone A61B17/7074, A61B17/808 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3916 Bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3987 Applicators for implanting markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3995 Multi-modality markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/551 Externally bridged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/60 Biased catch or latch

Abstract

The present invention provides a tool for inserting a fiducial marker. It comprises a housing and guide assembly, an obturator assembly, a drill for forming a bore hole at an implantation site, and a marker inserter for inserting a marker into the bore hole. The housing and guide assembly comprise a cylindrical housing having a bore provided therein, and a guide tube that is disposed and shiftable within the bore of the housing. The obturator assembly, drill and marker inserter are insertable in the distal end of the guide tube and shiftable therein.

Claims

1. A method of inserting a fiducial marker component in a bone in the human body, comprising the steps of:

a) inserting an obturator having a tip at one end in a guide tube of a guide assembly;

b) positioning the tip of said obturator at an implantation site overlying bone tissue into which the fiducial marker is to be inserted;

c) positioning said guide assembly over the implantation site so that it provides a stable orthogonal path with respect to the implantation site for the insertion of a drill;

d) removing said obturator from said guide

d) removing said obturator from said guide assembly, while leaving said guide assembly in place;

e) inserting a drill in said guide tube of the guide assembly;

f) drilling a hole at the implantation site into bone tissue;

g) removing said drill from said guide assembly; and

h) inserting a fiducial marker into said drilled hole.

2. A method of inserting a fiducial marker component in a bone in the human body, comprising the steps of:

a) inserting an trocar having a tip at one end in a guide tube of a guide assembly;

b) positioning the tip of said trocar at an implantation site overlying bone tissue into which the fiducial marker is to be inserted;

c) positioning said guide assembly over the implantation site at an angle, and then altering the position of the guide assembly so that it provides a stable orthogonal path with respect to the implantation site for the insertion of a drill;

d) removing said trocar from said guide assembly, while leaving said guide assembly in place;

e) inserting a drill in said guide tube of the guide assembly;

f) drilling a hole at the implantation site into bone tissue;

g) removing said drill from said guide assembly; and

h) inserting a fiducial marker into said drilled hole by passing it through the guide tube.

3. A method of forming a hole of limited depth in a patient and inserting a cylindrical object in the hole so formed, comprising the steps of:

inserting a cylindrical element having a tip at one end in a guide tube of a guide assembly;

positioning the tip of said cylindrical element at a defined site on the skin of a patient;

positioning said guide assembly so that it is in a stable orthogonal orientation with respect to the skin of the patient;

removing said cylindrical element from said guide assembly, while leaving said guide assembly in place;

inserting a drill in said guide tube of the guide assembly;

making an incision at the defined site and drilling a hole into bone underlying the skin at the defined site that is less than the thickness of the bone;

removing said drill from said guide tube; and

using a shaft-like insertion tool to insert a cylindrical object through the guide assembly into said drilled hole.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical element is an obturator.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical element is a trocar, and wherein immediately after the tip of the cylindrical element is positioned, the trocar is inserted at an acute angle with respect to the skin before it is raised to be vertical with respect to the skin so that the incision site through the skin does not lie directly over the bore hole.