초록 ▼

An apparatus for determining the position of a wireless catheter probe being used during a surgical procedure. Magnetic fields are projected into an anatomical body to induce voltage signals in a sensing coil that are sufficient to describe the position of a wireless sensor/transmitter. The voltage

An apparatus for determining the position of a wireless catheter probe being used during a surgical procedure. Magnetic fields are projected into an anatomical body to induce voltage signals in a sensing coil that are sufficient to describe the position of a wireless sensor/transmitter. The voltage signals are wirelessly re-transmitted by the sensor/transmitter as positional signals indicative of a current location of the sensor/transmitter in the anatomical body. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless catheter probe is self-powered using the induced voltage signals on a sensing coil. In another embodiment, induced voltage signals of a separate coil are used to power the device.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A surgical navigation apparatus for locating a wireless sensor/transmitter within an anatomical body during a surgical procedure, the apparatus comprising:at least one signal generator remote from the anatomical body for sending reference signals through the anatomical body to be received by the

1. A surgical navigation apparatus for locating a wireless sensor/transmitter within an anatomical body during a surgical procedure, the apparatus comprising:at least one signal generator remote from the anatomical body for sending reference signals through the anatomical body to be received by the sensor/transmitter and to be wirelessly re-transmitted by the sensor/transmitter as positional signals indicative of a current location of the sensor/transmitter within the anatomical body; a receiver for receiving positional signals from the wireless sensor/transmitter; a processor for computing a position of the wireless sensor/transmitter as a function of the positional signals transmitted to the receiver; and a circuit associated with the processor for outputting position image information to a display device.