System and method for telemetrically providing intrabody spatial position
First Claim
1. A telemetry system for providing spatial positioning information from within a patient'"'"'s body, the system comprising at least one implantable telemetry unit including:
- (a) at least one first transducer being for converting a power signal received from outside the body, into electrical power for powering said at least one implantable telemetry unit;
(b) at least one second transducer being for receiving a positioning field signal being received from outside the body; and
(c) at least one third transducer being for transmitting a locating signal transmittable outside the body in response to said positioning field signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telemetry system and method for providing spatial positioning information from within a patient'"'"'s body are disclosed. The system includes at least one implantable telemetry unit which includes (a) at least one first transducer being for converting a power signal received from outside the body, into electrical power for powering the at least one implantable telemetry unit; (b) at least one second transducer being for receiving a positioning field signal being received from outside the body; and (c) at least one third transducer being for transmitting a locating signal transmittable outside the body in response to the positioning field signal.
612 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A telemetry system for providing spatial positioning information from within a patient'"'"'s body, the system comprising at least one implantable telemetry unit including:
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(a) at least one first transducer being for converting a power signal received from outside the body, into electrical power for powering said at least one implantable telemetry unit;
(b) at least one second transducer being for receiving a positioning field signal being received from outside the body; and
(c) at least one third transducer being for transmitting a locating signal transmittable outside the body in response to said positioning field signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
(c) generating unit for generating said power signal and said positioning field signal;
(d) at least one fourth transducer being coupled to said generating unit for transmitting said power signal to said at least one implantable telemetry unit;
(e) at least one fifth transducer being coupled to said generating unit, said at least one fifth transducer being for transmitting said positioning field signal receivable by said at least one implantable telemetry unit; and
(f) at least one sixth transducer being coupled to said generating unit, said at least one sixth transducer being for receiving said locating signal transmitted from said at least one implantable telemetry unit.
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12. The telemetry system of claim 11, wherein said at least one fourth, at least one fifth and said at least one sixth transducers are each independently selected form the group consisting of a radio frequency transducer, an acoustic transducer and a magnetic field transducer.
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13. The telemetry system of claim 11, wherein said at least one fourth transducer and said at least one sixth transducer are a single transducer.
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14. The telemetry system of claim 13, wherein said single transducer is selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency transducer, an acoustic transducer and a magnetic field transducer.
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15. The telemetry system of claim 13, wherein said extracorporeal unit is integratable into a medical instrument.
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16. The telemetry system of claim 1, wherein said at least one first, said at least one second and said at least one third transducers are each independently selected form the group consisting of a radio frequency transducer, an acoustic transducer and a magnetic field transducer.
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17. The telemetry system of claim 16, wherein said at least one first transducer and said at least one third transducer are each independently an acoustic transducer which-includes:
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(i) a cell member having a cavity;
(ii) a substantially flexible piezoelectric layer attached to said cell member, said piezoelectric layer having an external surface and an internal surface, said piezoelectric layer featuring such dimensions so as to enable fluctuations thereof at its resonance frequency upon impinging of an external acoustic wave; and
(iii) a first electrode attached to said external surface and a second electrode attached to said internal surface.
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18. The telemetry system of claim 17, wherein said piezoelectric layer is of a material selected from the group consisting of PVDF and piezoceramic.
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19. The telemetry system of claim 16, wherein said magnetic field transducer is selected from the group consisting of multiturn wire coils, coils implemented in a very large scale integration (VLSI) silicon devices, a Hall effect detector, a coupled split-drain field effect transistor (MAGFET) device, and a magnetoresistive field effect transistor (FET) detector.
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20. The telemetry system of claim 16, wherein said magnetic field transducer of said at least one first transducer includes at least one coil for converting a magnetic field signal into an electrical current.
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21. The telemetry system of claim 16, wherein said magnetic field transducer of said at least one second or third transducer includes a plurality of transducers, each serves for converting a magnetic field signal into an electrical signal.
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22. The telemetry system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of transducers are oriented in three mutually orthogonal planes.
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23. A method for obtaining spatial positioning information from within a patient'"'"'s body, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) implanting within the patient'"'"'s body at least one telemetry unit including;
(i) at least one first transducer being for converting a power signal received from outside the body, into electrical power for powering said at least one implantable telemetry unit;
(ii) at least one second transducer being for receiving a positioning field signal being received from outside the body; and
(iii) at least one third transducer being for transmitting a locating signal transmittable outside the body in response to said positioning field signal; and
(b) receiving said locating signal outside the body of the patient, such that said location of said at least one telemetry unit within the body of the patient is identified from said locating signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
(i) a cell member having a cavity;
(ii) a substantially flexible piezoelectric layer attached to said cell member, said piezoelectric layer having an external surface and an internal surface, said piezoelectric layer featuring such dimensions so as to enable fluctuations thereof at its resonance frequency upon impinging of an external acoustic wave; and
(iii) a first electrode attached to said external surface and a second electrode attached to said internal surface.
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39. The method of claim 38, wherein said piezoelectric layer is of a material selected from the group consisting of PVDF and piezoceramic.
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40. The method of claim 37, wherein said magnetic field transducer is selected from the group consisting of multiturn wire coils, coils implemented in a very large scale integration (VLSI) silicon devices, a Hall effect detector, a coupled split-drain field effect transistor (MAGFET) device, and a magnetoresistive field effect transistor (FET) detector.
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41. The method of claim 37, wherein said magnetic field transducer of said at least one first transducer includes at least one coil for converting a magnetic field signal into an electrical current.
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42. The method of claim 37, wherein said magnetic field transducer of said at least one second transducer includes a plurality of transducers each for converting a magnetic field signal into an electrical signal.
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43. The method of claim 42, wherein said plurality of transducers are oriented in three mutually orthogonal planes.
Specification