Energy guided apparatus and method with indication of alignment
US5810841A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 20, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 22, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 20, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S33/21
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An invasive instrument, such as a biopsy needle, syringe or drill, is adapted to be guided by an energy beam such as a laser beam along a predefined line of sight path toward a subsurface target. The instrument is adapted for use in conjunction with an energy beam targeting and directing system which directs an energy beam in a line of sight path toward a target. The instrument includes a portion for percutaneously accessing a subsurface target, an energy conducting portion and an energy responsive means interposed between the means for percutaneously accessing a subsurface target and the energy conducting portion. In use of the instrument, whereby an operator monitors the energy responsive component for a visual indication of alignment of the instrument with the predefined line of sight path, while advancing the portion for percutaneously accessing the subsurface target along the line of sight path toward the target.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.