Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determining the position of a body part

US5807252A · kind A · utility

210Cited by

14References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Aesculap AG · DE

Inventors

Stefan Hassfeld · Dossenheim, DE
Joachim Muhling · Bergneustadt, DE
Theodor Lutze · Spaichingen, DE
Joachim Schulz · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 22, 1996
Grant date	Sep 15, 1998
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 22, 2016

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61B2090/3945
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

To improve the reliability of a process for determining the position of a body part in which bone screws are screwed into the bone of the body part in question, each bone screw is provided with a radiation emitter or radiation receiver. A number of fixed receivers or emitters are used as appropriate to receive radiation from the bone screw transmitters or direct radiation towards the bone screw receivers. The radiation direction and/or radiation propagation time and/or radiation field strength or frequency is used to determine the position of each radiation emitter or receiver. A system for determining position based on this procedure and bone screws which can be used therefor are also disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.