Patent · US Expired

Method and system for directing an instrument to a target

US5891158A · kind A · utility

77Cited by
4References
23Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 23, 1997
Grant dateApr 6, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 23, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B90/14
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and a surgical guidance system (20) direct an instrument to a target (40) located inside a patient (22). The surgical guidance system (20) includes a fixation frame (28), a first arc member (36), a second arc member (38), and first (78) and second (84) electromagnetic (EM) radiative sources. The first arc member (36) and the second arc member (38) are adjustably coupled to rotate about a common axis (48) and are adjusted in response to a target address and at least three marker addresses so that the target (40) is located at the center point of a virtual sphere defined by the arc members. A first electromagnetic (EM) radiative beam (80) and a second electromagnetic (EM) radiative beam (86) are projected from the system (20) and intersect at a line. The line forms a trajectory (146) along which an instrument can be directed to the target (40).

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