Medical instrument with a touch-sensitive tip

• US 20030069588A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Birkenbach, Rainer, Vilsmeier, Stefan, Bertram, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,744,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3958 emitting a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical instrument comprising an instrument body (8), an instrument tip (5) and a tracking means (1, 2, 4), characterized in that said instrument tip (5) is fitted with a touch-sensor (3) which detects a contact between said tip (5) and an object, for example a patient. It is preferably realized as an indicator device or pointer, in particular as a registering pointer for instrument tracking systems.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising an instrument body (8), an instrument tip (5) and a tracking means (1, 2, 4), characterized in that said instrument tip (5) is fitted with a touch-sensor (3) which detects a contact between said tip (5) and an object.

2. The instrument as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a transmission means (6) which transmits a signal when contact is detected.

3. The instrument as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said transmission means is a cable (6).

4. The instrument as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said transmission means is a sender for transmitting signals wirelessly.

5. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a control system is assigned to said transmission means or sensor (3), which only allows it to transmit another signal after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

6. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said tip (5) may be removed from said instrument body (8).

7. The instrument as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that said tip (5) is realized as a disposable article.

8. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said tracking means comprises magnetic tracking coils (1, 2, 3).

9. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said tracking means comprises an optically detectable arrangement of markers.

10. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said sensor is an electrical resistance sensor, a capacity sensor or a mechanical sensor, or a combination of these types of sensors.

11. The instrument as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is realized as an indicator device or pointer, in particular as a registering pointer for instrument tracking systems.