System for determining the location and orientation of an invasive medical instrument
US6690963B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 10, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N1/3627
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A locating system for determining the location and orientation of an invasive medical instrument, for example a catheter (10) or endoscope, relative to a reference frame, comprising: a plurality of field generators (18, 20, 22) which generate known, distinguishable fields, preferably continuous AC magnetic fields, in response to drive signals; a plurality of sensors (30, 32, 34) situated in the invasive medical instrument (10) proximate the distal end thereof which generate sensor signals in response to said fields; and a signal processor (26) which has an input for a plurality of signals corresponding to said drive signals and said sensor signals and which produces the three location coordinates and three orientation coordinates of a point on the invasive medical instrument.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.