Device and Method for Needle/Catheter Location Utilizing Correlation Analysis

An apparatus for confirming placement of a hollow-bore structure at a desired treatment location in a mammalian subject, comprising:

• a needle, a catheter or combination thereof to provide the hollow-bore structure, the hollow-bore structure having distal and proximal ends with respective openings thereat;
• a first sensor disposed in fluid communication with the hollow-bore structure;
• a syringe disposed in fluid communication with the first sensor, where each of the hollow-bore structure, first sensor, and syringe have a respective fluid passageway extending therethrough with all of the fluid passageways disposed in fluid communication to provide a continuous closed fluid pathway extending from the syringe through the first sensor to the opening at the distal end of the hollow-bore structure;
• and
• a controller configured to receive a first signal in response to detection of a first property from the first sensor, the first signal indicative of a cardiac pulse in the fluid passageway of the hollow-bore structure, the first signal also indicative of an objective pressure in the fluid passageway of the hollow-bore structure, and the controller configured to receive a second signal in response to detection of a second property indicative of the cardiac pulse from a second sensor placed at a second location, the controller programmed to determine if the first and second signals are correlated to provide a comparison result, wherein controller is programmed to determine that the first and second signals are correlated at a fundamental frequency in the presence of a phase offset between the first and second signals whereby the comparison result provides an indication of placement of the hollow-bore structure relative to the desired treatment location.