Ultrasound tracking device, system and method for intrabody guiding procedures
AssigneeRon-Tech Medical Ltd.
InventorRonnie Tepper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for precision location of a tool such as a surgical tool within an obscured region such as an internal space of the human or animal body, the apparatus comprising: a planar scanning unit for scanning planes within said obscured region using an imaging scan, and a locator, associated with said tool and with said scanning unit, for determining a location of said tool, and for selecting a plane including said tool location. The apparatus allows the planar scan to follow the tool automatically and saves skill and effort on the part of the surgeon.
Claims82
Apparatus for precision location of a tool within an obscured region, the apparatus comprising:
- a planar scanning unit for scanning planes within said obscured region using an imaging scan, and
- a locator, associated with said tool, for determining a location of said tool, and for selecting a plane including said tool location.
Apparatus for precision location of a tool within an obscured region, the apparatus comprising:
- a planar scanning unit for scanning planes within said obscured region using an imaging scan, and
- a locator, associated with said scanning unit, for determining a location of said tool, and for controlling said scanning unit to follow said tool.
A method of imaging a tool in an intra-body space comprising:
- scanning said intra-body space, locating said tool, and
- using said locating to control said scanning to follow said tool.
The method of claim 55, further comprising applying image processing, sensitive to said recognizability, to said scanning, to recognize said tip.
A method of imaging a tool in an intra-body space comprising:
- determining a location of said tool in three dimensions, and
- using said location to control planar scanning to follow said tool by including said tool in at least one plane being scanned.
The method of claim 70, further comprising applying image processing, sensitive to said recognizability, to said scanning, to recognize said tip.
A surgical tool for use with ultrasound imaging, said tool comprising a a region of high contrast to ultrasound about a tip of said tool.
A surgical tool for use with ultrasound imaging, said tool comprising a region of automatically variable contrast to ultrasound about a tip of said tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.