Patents Assigned to Visualization Technology Inc.
  • Patent number: 6445943
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 6341231
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 6175756
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Visualization Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5967980
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5873822
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5829444
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5803089
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5800352
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman
  • Patent number: 5676673
    Abstract: A system for monitoring the position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying at least one of a plurality of prerecorded images of said body responsive to the position of said medical instrument. In one embodiment the system includes a reference unit secured from movement with respect to the patient's body such that said reference unit is substantially immobile with respect to a target operation site. The system also includes a remote unit for attachment to the medical instrument. A field generator may be associated with one of the units for generating a position characteristic field in an area including the target operation site. One or more field sensors may be associated with either of the units responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field for producing one or more sensor output signals representative of said sensed field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Visualization Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice R. Ferre, Peter D. Jakab, James S. Tieman