Passive tags, and systems and methods for using them

• US 10,610,326 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cianna Medical Inc. (Merit Medical Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cianna Medical Inc. (Merit Medical Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rulkov, Nikolai, Lopez, Michael John, Greene, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US14/934,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• 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 2090/3904 specially adapted for marking specified tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3979 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3987 Applicators for implanting markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/04 Protection of tissue around surgical sites against effects of non-mechanical surgery, e.g. laser surgery protection of eyes against laser radiation A61F9/022
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/60 Protection against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

Markers, microwave probes, and related systems and methods are provided for localizing lesions within a patient'"'"'s body, e.g., within a breast. The marker includes an energy converter e.g., one or more photodiodes, for transforming energy pulses striking the marker into electrical energy, a switch, e.g., FET, coupled to the photodiodes such that light from a probe cause the switch to open and close. A pair of antenna wires are coupled to the switch to provide an antenna, the switch configured to open and close when light strikes the photodiodes to modulate signals from the probe reflected by the antenna back to the probe to identify the location of the marker. The marker also includes an electro static discharge (ESD) protection device coupled to the switch to provide protection against an electrostatic discharge event.

Claims

1. A marker sized for introduction into a target tissue region within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

a field effect transistor (FET);

one or more photosensitive diodes coupled in series across a source and a gate of the FET to convert light pulses received from a light source to generate a voltage to open and close the FET;

a pair of elongate wires coupled to a drain of the FET and the source of the FET to provide an antenna, the FET configured to open and close to modulate signals reflected by the antenna back to a source of the signals;

and an electro static discharge (ESD) protection device coupled between the drain and the source of the FET to set a maximal voltage between the drain and the source.

2. The marker of claim 1, wherein the pair of elongate wires comprise a first wire coupled to the drain of the FET and a second wire coupled to the source of the FET to provide the antenna such that when the FET is closed, the first and second wires are connected together.

3. The marker of claim 1, wherein the one or more photosensitive diodes comprise multiple diodes arranged orthogonally relative to one another.

4. The marker of claim 1, wherein the elongate wires are biased to a substantially straight configuration.

5. The marker of claim 1, wherein the elongate wires extend in generally opposite directions from a package containing the one or more photodiodes and the FET.

6. The marker of claim 1, further comprising a resistor coupled between the source and gate of the FET.

7. The marker of claim 1, wherein the wires are biased to assume a curvilinear configuration.

8. The marker of claim 1, wherein the wires are formed from elastic or superelastic material shape set such that the wires are biased to a helical configuration yet may be resiliently straightened to a substantially linear configuration to facilitate loading the marker into a delivery device.

9. A marker sized for introduction into a target tissue region within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

a field effect transistor (FET);

one or more photosensitive diodes coupled in series across a source and a gate of the FET to convert light pulses received from a light source to generate a voltage to open and close the FET;

a first wire coupled to one of a drain of the FET and the source of the FET to provide an antenna, the FET configured to open and close to modulate signals reflected by the antenna back to a source of the signals; and

an electro static discharge (ESD) protection device coupled between the drain and the source of the FET to set a maximal voltage between the drain and the source.

10. The marker of claim 9, wherein the first wire is coupled to the drain of the FET, the marker further comprising a second wire coupled to the source of the FET.

11. The marker of claim 9, wherein the one or more photosensitive diodes comprise multiple diodes arranged orthogonally relative to one another.

12. The marker of claim 9, wherein the first wire is biased to a substantially straight configuration.

13. The marker of claim 9, further comprising a resistor coupled between the source and gate of the FET.

14. The marker of claim 9, wherein the first wire us biased to assume a curvilinear configuration.

15. The marker of claim 9, wherein the first wire is formed from elastic or superelastic material shape set such that the first wire is biased to a helical configuration yet may be resiliently straightened to a substantially linear configuration to facilitate loading the marker into a delivery device.