Medical probes with field transducers

• US 6,453,190 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biosense, Inc. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biosense, Inc. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bejerano, Yaniv, Acker, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US09/117,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 600/424, 600/425, 128/897, 128/899, 606/130, 340/686, 356/375, 356/614
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00062 provided with means for preventing overuse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/02 Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0814 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3929 Active markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3958 emitting a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 : Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 : Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 : Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 : Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 : Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 : involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 : for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 : using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 : Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0025 : having a collapsible lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 : Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 : for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0023 : by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 : Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 : Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

A field transducer (30) for determining position or orientation in a medical instrument locating system is placed at an arbitrary position or orientation with respect to a feature (62) of the instrument (46). The transducer (30) may be attached at a arbitrary location on the instrument (46), or the instrument (400, 404) may be bent as desired by the user. A transform relating position or orientation of feature of the instrument to position or orientation of the tranducer is obtained in a caliration cycle. A field transducer may be part of a disposable unit which is irrevocably altered when used with an instrument so that the unit cannot be reused.

Claims

1. A component for use in a medical probe system having at least one of a plurality of different medical instruments, the component comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) a field transducer connected to the body for detecting or radiating a non-ionizing field so that the disposition of the field transducer can be at least partially determined from properties of such field;

(c) a selectively operable mounting element for securing the body and the field transducer to any one of a plurality of different medical instruments having different configurations, wherein when the body and the field transducer are secured to any one of the instruments, a position of the field transducer is calibrated with respect to a pre-selected feature of the any one of the instruments; and

(d) an electrical circuit element connected to the body for bearing information relating to the usage of the any one of the instruments having the body and the field transducer attached thereto.

2. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting element includes an adhesive for bonding the field transducer to the pre-selected feature of the any one of the instruments.

3. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting element includes a clip attached to the field transducer for gripping an instrument portion to thereby mechanically connect the field transducer to the instrument portion.

4. A disposable device for mounting to a medical instrument, the disposable device comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) a field transducer connected to the body for detecting or radiating a non-ionizing field so that the disposition of the field transducer can be at least partially determined from properties of such field;

(c) a mounting element for securing the body and the field transducer to a medical instrument, said mounting element including a band for engaging a portion of a medical instrument, wherein said mounting element allows a position of the field transducer to be calibrated; and

(d) an electrical circuit element connected to the body for bearing information relating to the usage of the medical instrument.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said mounting element can alter said electrical circuit element.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said electrical circuit element constitutes a part of said field transducer.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said mounting element includes features having a predetermined configuration for engaging a feature of the instrument so as to support the field transducer in a predetermined disposition relative to the instrument.

8. A disposable device according to claim 7 wherein said body has at least one appendage.

9. A disposable device for mounting to a medical instrument, the disposable device comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) a field transducer for detecting or radiating a non-ionizing field so that the disposition of the field transducer can be at least partially determined from properties of such field, wherein a position of the field transducer is calibrated with respect to a pre-selected feature on the medical instrument when the field transducer is secured to the pre-selected feature on the medical instrument;

(c) a mounting element for securing the field transducer and the body to the medical instrument; and

(d) an electrical circuit element bearing information specific to the field transducer.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said electrical circuit element bears calibration information related to the disposable device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electrical circuit element bears information identifying the disposable device.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electrical circuit element bears information indicating whether the disposable device has been used.