System for excitation leadless miniature marker

A marker system, comprising:

• a plurality of leadless resonating marker assemblies being excitable by a magnetic excitation signal and being configured to generate marker resonant signals at one or more selected resonant frequencies;
• a plurality of location sensors remote from the marker assemblies and configured to receive the marker signals;
• and
• a source generator assembly having a power supply, an energy storage device, first and second switching networks, and first and second source coils, the
• first switching network and first source coil being interconnected, and the second switching network and the second source coil being interconnected;
• and
• the power supply configured to deliver power to energize the energy storage device, the energy storage device interconnected to the first and the second switching networks.

A marker locating system usable with a power supply, comprising:

• a resonating, leadless marker assembly being excitable by a excitation source signal to generate a marker signal distinguishable from the excitation source signal;
• a source signal generating system having an energy storage device connectable to the power supply, a switching network and a source coil coupled together;
• the switching network being configured to:
• alternately switch between a first on position and a second on position to generate a magnetic field;
• alternately transfer stored energy from the energy storage device to the source coil and to transfer stored energy from the source coil back to the energy storage device;
• direct electrical current through the source coil to generate the pulsed excitation source signal;
• and
• a plurality of location sensors remote from the marker assembly and being configured to receive the marker signal.

A method of exciting a leadless marker assembly, comprising:

• directing a current through a source coil to generate an excitation source signal waveform, the current being alternated between a first current flow having a continuously increasing electrical current ramp with time, and a second current flow having a continuously decreasing electrical current ramp with time;
• exciting a leadless resonating marker assembly with the pulsed excitation source signal;
• generating a marker signal from a resonating marker assembly when the resonating marker assembly is excited;
• and
• measuring the marker signal from the energized marker assembly.

A method of energizing a leadless marker assembly, comprising:

• storing electrical energy in an energy storage device;
• directing the energy from the energy storage device through a switching mechanism to alternately transfer stored energy from the energy storage device to the source coil and to transfer stored energy from the source coil back to the energy storage device;
• directing the electrical energy from the switching mechanism through a source coil to generate a magnetic field;
• and
• energizing a leadless resonating marker assembly with the magnetic field.