Imaging system having interactive medical instruments and methods
US5617857A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S128/903
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention provides an improved imaging system and method. The imaging system is of the type having a medical instrument including a source for emitting detectable energy and an instrument body having a work portion. The imaging system further includes detector for detecting the energy and a processor for determining the location of the medical instrument based on the detected energy. Such an imaging system is improved by providing a storage device on or in the medical instrument for storing initialization information, such as the location of the energy-emitting means relative to the instrument body. A transfer device is provided for transferring the initialization information from the storage device to the processor upon connection of the medical instrument to the processor. In this manner, the processor may then configure itself according to the attached instrument so that the system may track the location of the instrument body in three-dimensional space upon detection of the emitted energy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.