US 5,758,667 A · Device for locating a port on a medical implant

Abstract

A device for locating a port, facing the exterior of a patient, on a medical implant has at least one magnet and a detector arranged to sense magnetic fields. The magnet is associated with the implanted port and the detector is arranged to sense the magnetic field from the outside of the patient's body and, on the basis thereof, determine the location of the port. Alternatively, the detector is associated with the (implanted) port and the magnet is intended to be moved across the area above the detector on the exterior of the patient's body to then determine the location of the port from the magnetic field detected. The device can alternatively use a coil which is associated with the (implanted) port and a ferromagnetic element is moved on the exterior of the patient's body over the area above the coil. Changes in the inductance of the coil when the ferromagnetic means is moved are monitored and, therefrom, the position of the port is identified.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A device, for use with a medical implant having a port, for locating the port after implantation of said medical implant in a patient, said device comprising:

a magnetic field source adapted to be disposed in a patient in whom said medical implant is implanted at a known spatial position relative to said port;
a fixture plate movable across the skin of the patient, said fixture plate having a hemispherical recess therein;
and
indicator means, movably mounted in said fixture plate and positionally responsive to a magnetic field from said magnetic field source, for providing an extracorporeally perceptible indication when said fixture plate is in a defined spatial relationship to said magnetic field source for extracorporeally identifying a position of said port in said patient, said indicator means comprising an axially magnetized spherical body mounted in said recess for substantially free rotation therein, said axially magnetized spherical body having a marking thereon identifying the position of said spherical body relative to said fixture plate.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device for locating a port on a medical implant

Life of this patent

Device for locating a port on a medical implant

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14