Ultrasound detectable instrument
OwnerEwen James Crawford Kellar, Seyed Mehdi Tavakoliinventors
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Abstract
An ultrasound detectable instrument (10) includes bubble generating means comprising two elements (32a, 32b) which, upon contact with each other in the presence of a fluid, react with each other to produce gas bubbles which may be detected by sonic imaging equipment. The two elements comprise first and second radially displaced layers of said elements within a fluid permeable carrier material.
Claims43
An instrument insertable into a medium and being capable of detection by sonic imaging equipment comprises:
- an elongate member, for insertion into said medium and having a region the position of which it is desirable to monitor;
- bubble generating means, generating a plurality of discrete mobile bubbles at said region, whereby said bubbles are detectable by sonic imaging equipment, characterised in that;
- said bubble generating means comprises two elements which, upon contact with each other in the presence of a fluid, react with each other to produce said gas bubbles and in which said elements comprise first and second radially displaced layers of said elements within a fluid permeable carrier material.
An instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said first layer comprises a radially inner layer and comprises citric acid and said second layer comprises a radially outer layer and comprises sodium hydrogen carbonate.
An instrument substantially as described herein with reference to FIGS. 1 to-of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.