Surgical devices and their location
First Claim
1. A method of determining the position and orientation of a surgical device within the human or animal body, which comprises the steps of:
- A. inserting the surgical device into the body together with a magnetically active marker, the marker comprising (1) a high permeability, low coercivity magnetic material and (2) a magnetised bias element, and having a fixed positional relationship with respect to said surgical device;
B. generating a rotating magnetic field in the vicinity of the surgical device, said rotating magnetic field comprising a high frequency AC field component and a DC bias field component; and
C. sensing the position of the marker, and hence of the surgical device, by remotely detecting the magnetic response to said rotating magnetic field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical device, e.g. a catheter or a prosthesis, is disclosed which is characterised in that it carries, at a predetermined location, a tag formed of a high permeability, low coercivity magnetic material. Also disclosed is a method of locating a surgical device within the human or animal body, which comprises inserting the device into the body together with a magnetically active marker, the marker being associated with a predetermined location on the surgical device; and sensing the position of the marker, and hence of the surgical device, by remotely detecting its magnetic response to an interrogating signal. Systems for use in this method are also disclosed.
188 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of determining the position and orientation of a surgical device within the human or animal body, which comprises the steps of:
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A. inserting the surgical device into the body together with a magnetically active marker, the marker comprising (1) a high permeability, low coercivity magnetic material and (2) a magnetised bias element, and having a fixed positional relationship with respect to said surgical device; B. generating a rotating magnetic field in the vicinity of the surgical device, said rotating magnetic field comprising a high frequency AC field component and a DC bias field component; and C. sensing the position of the marker, and hence of the surgical device, by remotely detecting the magnetic response to said rotating magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for use in determining the position and orientation of a surgical device within the human or animal body, which system comprises:
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(i) a surgical device which carries, at a predetermined location, a tag formed of (1) a high permeability, low coercivity magnetic material and (2) a magnetised bias element; (ii) means for generating a rotating magnetic field; and (iii) means for detecting the interaction between the tag and the rotating magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification