Magnetic sensor for tracking the location of an object
AssigneeSt. Jude Medical International Holding S.à r.l.
InventorRyan K. Buesseler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for emitting a field comprising a a core, a conductive winding with a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion, where the conductive winding surrounds a portion of the core and is wound about a winding axis, a protrusion for aligning the apparatus where the protrusion is parallel with the winding axis, and a conductive connector extending from the conductive winding, wherein the conductive connector is electrically coupled with the conductive winding at the intermediate portion.
Claims19
An apparatus for emitting a field comprising:
- a core;
- a conductive winding with a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion, where the conductive winding surrounds a portion of the core and is wound about a winding axis;
- a protrusion for aligning the apparatus where the protrusion is parallel with the winding axis;
- and
- a conductive connector extending from the conductive winding, wherein the conductive connector is electrically coupled with the conductive winding at the intermediate portion.
A system comprising:
- a first transducer assembly with a first longitudinal axis, the first transducer assembly comprising a core, a conductive winding, and a conductive connector electrically coupled with the conductive winding, wherein the core is parallel with the first longitudinal axis;
- a catheter with a second longitudinal axis, wherein the catheter comprises
- a first sensor, and
- a plurality of electrodes, where a location of the second sensor is known in relation to each of the plurality of electrodes;
- where the first longitudinal axis of the transducer assembly is perpendicular with the second longitudinal axis of the catheter;
- and
- an electronic control unit (ECU) electrically coupled to the first transducer assembly and the first sensor and operable to do the following:
- (A) generate a magnetic field using the first transducer assembly;
- (B) measure a first signal from the first sensor, wherein the first signal varies based on a position of the first sensor along the second longitudinal axis in relation to the magnetic field generated by the first transducer assembly;
- (C) analyze the first signal to determine a relative position of the catheter along the second longitudinal axis based on the location of the first sensor;
- (D) generate a relative position information for the catheter using the analysis of the first signal.
A method for detecting a position of a sensor on an elongate medical device, comprising:
- positioning a catheter at a first location along a first longitudinal axis, emitting a field from a first transducer with a second longitudinal axis, where the first longitudinal axis is perpendicular with the second longitudinal axis,
- moving the catheter to a second position along the longitudinal axis,
- measuring a signal, by an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising a processor, at a first sensor on the catheter while moving the catheter along the longitudinal axis from the first position to the second position within the field,
- analyzing the signal, by the ECU, from the first sensor, and
- determining, by the ECU, a position data of the first sensor based on the signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.