Patents Assigned to McCormick Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 4943770
    Abstract: A device for accurately detecting and monitoring the position of an object inside biological tissue, particularly an endotracheal tube inside a patient's throat, comprising a circuit which generates an electromagnetic field of limited width and depth, and which is disturbed by the presence of material having a high magnetic permeability such as a metal band on the distal end of such an endotracheal tube, but which is otherwise stable and not affected by temperature or other such factors. Included in the invention is a probe for generating the electromagnetic field, which probe is insensitive to temperature changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: McCormick Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Ashley-Rollman, Miles C. O'Donnell, William McCormick
  • Patent number: 4445501
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for determining very accurately the position of a device inside biological tissue comprising a detecting instrument with a probe, which probe generates a small magnetic field which can be disturbed by a magnetically permeable metal in the device inside the tissue when a narrow end of the probe is positioned immediately adjacent to tissue containing the metal, whereby after the metal-carrying device is inserted in the tissue, the end of the probe is used to precisely locate the device by scanning the tissue until the magnetic field is disturbed which causes the instrument to emit a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Assignee: McCormick Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Bresler
  • Patent number: 4431005
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for determining very accurately the position of a device inside biological tissue comprising a detecting instrument with a probe, which probe generates a small magnetic field which can be disturbed by a magnetically permeable metal in the device inside the tissue when a narrow end of the probe is positioned immediately adjacent to tissue containing the metal, whereby after the metal-carrying device is inserted in the tissue, the end of the probe is used to precisely locate the device by scanning the tissue until the magnetic field is disturbed which causes the instrument to emit a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Assignee: McCormick Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: William McCormick
  • Patent number: 4416289
    Abstract: A circuit for determining very accurately the position of a device inside biological tissue in which a probe generates a small magnetic field which can be disturbed by a magnetically permeable metal in the device inside the tissue when a narrow end of the probe is positioned immediately adjacent to tissue containing the metal, whereby after the metal-carrying device is inserted in the tissue, the end of the probe is used to precisely locate the device by scanning the tissue until the magnetic field is disturbed, which disturbance causes the circuit to generate a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: McCormick Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Bresler