System for locating implantable medical device

Abstract

A system and method for locating an implantable medical device. The system consists of a flat "pancake" antenna coil positioned concentric with the implantable medical device target, e.g. the drug reservoir septum. The system further features a three location antenna array which is separate from the implantable device and external to the patient. The antenna array features three or more separate antennas which are used to sense the energy emitted from the implanted antenna coil. The system further features a processor to process the energy ducted by the antenna array. The system senses the proximity to the implant coil and, thus, the implant device by determining when an equal amount of energy is present in each of the antennas of the antenna array and if each such ducted energy is greater than a predetermined minimum. When such a condition is met, the antenna array is aligned with the implant coil. Thus the needle port through the antenna array is lined up with the septum of the drug reservoir. Alternative embodiments are further disclosed in which the processor and antenna array are positioned within the implanted device while the coil is external to the patient.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.