# US 10,480,959 B2 · Medical device position location systems, devices and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,959 B2 - Document ID: US10480959B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/048,117 - Filed: 2016-02-19 - Published: 2016-08-25 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-20 - Assignees: Teleflex Medical Devices S.à R.L. - Applicants: Teleflex Medical Devices S.à r.l - Inventors: Peter E. Nelson; Robert D. Zellers; Charles W. Henry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480959B2 ## CPC - G01D 5/2006: {by influencing the self-induction of one or more coils (G01D5/22 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/062: {using magnetic field} - A61B 5/065: {Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe} - A61B 5/339: Displays specially adapted therefor - G01D 5/2066: {by movement of a single coil with respect to a single other coil} - A61B 5/6851: {Guide wires} - A61B 5/6852: {Catheters} - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Methods, devices and systems for three-dimensional location of the disposition of a sensor coil in a subject including are disclosed. The systems include an array of three or more quadruplet drive coil sets, where each quadruplet drive coil set include at least four discrete drive coils, at least one moveable sensor coil configured to provide one or more sensor coil response signals, a first system component providing AC drive signals to energize the discrete drive coils, a second system component for receiving the one or more sensor coil response signals from the at least one moveable sensor coil, and a processor configured to determine a sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets based on the one or more sensor coil response signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical device locating system for determining a disposition of a sensor in a subject, the system comprising: an array of three or more quadruplet drive coil sets, each of the quadruplet drive coil sets including at least four discrete drive coils, wherein at least two of the discrete drive coils in each of the quadruplet drive coil sets are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other in one or more of an x-y, x-z, or y-z array, and at least two of the discrete drive coils in the same quadruplet drive coil set are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other and geometrically oriented off axis respectively at a negative 45 degree angle and a positive 45 degree angle away from the respective x, y, or z axis, each of the discrete drive coils being electromagnetic coils; at least one moveable sensor coil configured to provide one or more sensor coil response signals; a driving circuit configured to provide alternating current (AC) drive signals to energize the discrete drive coils, wherein the driving circuit is configured to provide the AC drive signals by: sequentially driving one or more of the discrete drive coils within each quadruplet drive coil set; or selectively providing phase inversion of the drive signal to any one or more of the discrete drive coils within each quadruplet drive coil set; a receiving circuit configured to receive the one or more sensor coil response signals from the at least one moveable sensor coil; and a processor configured to determine a sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets based on the one or more sensor coil response signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject using an intersection of spheres, wherein the one or more sensor coil response signals from coil pairs oriented plus and minus 45 degrees off axis are vector summed to yield one axis of data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the display is configured to display the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject by displaying one or more of a height, width or depth of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the display is configured to display the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject by displaying an angular orientation of the at least one moveable sensor coil relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject by: calculating sensor coil signal data sets generated from the one or more sensor coil response signals; selecting optimum sensor coil signal data sets from the calculated sensor coil signal data sets based on the magnitude of the sensor coil signal data sets; and calculating an intersection of spheres using the optimum sensor coil signal data sets to determine the sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more electrocardiogram reference leads placed on the subject and an electrocardiogram lead provided by a conductive core wire supporting the sensor coil. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a display configured to display the electrocardiogram signal of the subject over time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the display is further configured to display the P-wave of the subject over time in combination with the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a catheter, a guide wire or a stylet with the at least one moveable sensor coil being disposed in a distal portion therewith, and further comprising an integrated electrocardiogram lead associated with the sensor coil, the electrocardiogram lead providing an electrical electrocardiogram signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit or the receiving circuit comprises an automatic gain control circuit, the automatic gain control circuit being configured to maximize the one or more sensor coil response signals before the one or more sensor coil response signals are received by the second system component. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a user control box, wherein the array of the three or more quadruplet drive coil sets and the at least one moveable sensor coil are connected to the user control box. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is further configured to continually adjust or program the intensity or power of current through one or more of the discrete drive coils in at least one or more of the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an x-axis tilt meter and y-axis tilt meter configured to measure the x-axis and y-axis tilt from a true vertical, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil as a height, width, and depth of the sensor coil corrected for the tilt of the array of the three or more quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 15 A medical device locating system for determining a disposition of a sensor coil in a subject, the system comprising: an array of three or more quadruplet drive coil sets, each of the quadruplet drive coil sets including at least four discrete drive coils, wherein at least two of the discrete drive coils in each of the quadruplet drive coil sets are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other in one or more of an x-y, x-z, or y-z array, and at least two of the discrete drive coils in the same quadruplet drive coil set are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other and geometrically oriented off axis respectively at a negative 45 degree angle and a positive 45 degree angle away from the respective x, y, or z axis, each of the discrete drive coils being electromagnetic coils; at least one moveable sensor coil configured to provide one or more sensor coil response signals; a driving circuit configured to provide alternating current (AC) drive signals to energize the discrete drive coils, wherein the driving circuit is configured to provide the AC drive signals by: simultaneously driving two or more of the discrete drive coils at two or more different current intensity or power levels within each quadruplet drive coil set to generate an electromagnetic field defining a virtual axis, or simultaneously driving two or more of the discrete drive coils within each quadruplet drive coil set with two or more drive signals with inversed phase; a receiving circuit configured to receive the one or more sensor coil response signals from the at least one moveable sensor coil; and a processor configured to determine a sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets based on the one or more sensor coil response signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising a display configured to display the disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets. ### Claim 17 A medical device locating system for determining a disposition of a sensor coil in a subject, the system comprising: an array of three or more quadruplet drive coil sets, each of the quadruplet drive coil sets including at least four discrete drive coils, wherein at least two of the discrete drive coils in each of the quadruplet drive coil sets are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other in one or more of an x-y, x-z, or y-z array, and at least two of the discrete drive coils in the same quadruplet drive coil set are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other and geometrically oriented off axis respectively at a negative 45 degree angle and a positive 45 degree angle away from the respective x, y, or z axis, each of the discrete drive coils being electromagnetic coils; at least one moveable sensor coil configured to provide one or more sensor coil response signals; a catheter, a guide wire or a stylet with the at least one moveable sensor coil being disposed in a distal portion therewith; a driving circuit configured to provide alternating current (AC) drive signals to energize the discrete drive coils, wherein the driving circuit is configured to provide the AC drive signals by: simultaneously driving two or more of the discrete drive coils at two or more different current intensity or power levels within each quadruplet drive coil set to generate an electromagnetic field defining a virtual axis, or simultaneously driving two or more of the discrete drive coils within each quadruplet drive coil set with two or more drive signals with inversed phase; a receiving circuit configured to receive the one or more sensor coil response signals from the at least one moveable sensor coil; and a processor configured to determine a sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets based on the one or more sensor coil response signals.