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
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
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
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
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
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