Patents Examined by K. Pfaffle
  • Patent number: 5265610
    Abstract: During an X-ray fluoroscopy procedure, the position and orientation of an invasive device, such as a catheter, are measured with radiofrequency fields. The invasive device has a transient coil attached near its end and is driven by a low power RF source to produce a dipole electromagnetic field that can be detected by an array of receive coils distributed around a region of interest of the subject. Multiple views of the instantaneous position of the invasive device are displayed by superposition of graphic symbols on multiple static X-ray images obtained at multiple view angles. Each view angle is displayed upon a different display means. The X-ray images are obtained only when deemed necessary by the operator to minimize X-ray dose. A single X-ray source and detector may be implemented since it is not necessary to obtain the X-ray images simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Darrow, Charles L. Dumoulin