Surgical devices and their location
US6076007A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 13, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V15/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.