Medical marker means

• US 7,527,387 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Birkenbach, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US11/539,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 362/34, 362/84, 600/317
• US Class Current: 362/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

A medical marker trackable by a medical navigation system includes a marker body and a luminescence agent within the marker body. The luminescence agent is operative to emit light without an electrical power supply coupled to the luminescence agent.

Claims

1. A medical marker, comprising:

a marker body; and

a luminescence agent within the marker body, said luminescence agent operative to emit light without an electrical power supply coupled to the luminescence agent, wherein said marker is positionally trackable by a medical tracking system.

2. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent luminesces according to at least one of chemoluminescence, photoluminescence, electroluminescence or radioluminescence.

3. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent includes of a number of substances that illuminate when mixed together.

4. The marker according to claim 3, further comprising a fastening device, wherein when the fastening device is activated or fixed, mixing of the substances is triggered.

5. The marker according to claim 4, wherein fixing the fastening device opens a container including a first substance situated within a space including a second substance.

6. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent emits in the infrared range.

7. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the luminescence agent solely or at least partially emits in the range of visible light.

8. The marker according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator operative to show when the luminosity of the luminescence agent decreases or ebbs.

9. The marker according to claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises the illuminating portion of the luminescence agent emitting light in the visible light range and the infrared range.

10. The marker according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of marker bodies or a plurality of groups of marker bodies, wherein the luminescence agent in each marker body illuminates in a different color in each group or body.

11. The marker according to claim 1, further comprising an instrument or treatment means attached to the marker body or to a group of marker bodies, said marker body or groups of marker bodies being color-coded and characteristic of the respective instrument or treatment means.

12. The marker according to claim 11, wherein the instrument comprises a plurality of marker bodies or groups of marker bodies in the same color.

13. The marker according to claim 11, wherein the instrument comprises a plurality of marker bodies or groups of marker bodies in different colors.

14. The marker according to claim 1, wherein the marker body forms an insert that is insertable into a receptacle of an instrument or treatment means, wherein translucent openings are provided in or on the receptacle to enable light emitted by the marker body to pass through instrument.

15. The marker according to claim 1, wherein said marker body comprises:

an opening; and

a deformable sealing member formed at said opening so as to create a closed space in the marker body.

16. The marker according to claim 15, further comprising a frangible capsule arranged in said marker body at said opening.

17. The marker according to claim 15, wherein said opening includes a threaded bore for attachment of the marker to a device.

18. The marker according to claim 1, wherein said marker emits light at an angle greater than 180 degrees.

19. A trackable instrument assembly, comprising:

a medical instrument; and

at least one light emitting device adapted to generate light via a luminescence agent, said light emitting device attached to said instrument,

wherein said instrument assembly emits a characteristic pattern of light that is positionally trackable by a medical tracking system.

20. The instrument assembly according to claim 19, wherein said medical instrument includes a receptacle for receiving the at least one light emitting device, said receptacle including a plurality of translucent openings that enable light emitted by the light emitting device to pass therethrough.

21. The instrument assembly according to claim 20, wherein said openings are characteristically arranged so as to enable identification of the instrument by a medical tracking or navigation system.

22. The instrument assembly according to claim 19, wherein said medical instrument includes a marker attachment device adapted to cause the luminescence agent to emit light upon the marker being attached to the marker attachment device.

23. The instrument assembly according to claim 22, wherein said attachment device includes a threaded bore formed on the marker, and a threaded post formed on the medical instrument.

24. A method of tracking a medical instrument within a medical workspace, comprising:

emitting from the instrument a characteristic pattern of light, wherein said light is generated using a luminescence agent; and

using a medical tracking system to positionally track the characteristic pattern of light emitted from the instrument.