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US 6,211,666 B1Granted
Object location system and method using field actuation sequences having different field strengths
AssigneeBiosense, Inc.
InventorDavid E. Acker
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AssigneeBiosense, Inc.
InventorDavid E. Acker
Estimating the term…
A method and system of operating a location system to locate objects in space, such as medical instruments (16) within the body of a patient is presented. The method includes cyclically actuating transmitters (10a, 10b, 10c) in a fixed frame of reference for the transmission of magnetic fields to a plurality of sensing units (54a, 54b, 54c). The sensing units detect characteristics of the fields during actuation sequences for determining location. At least one transmitter may be actuated during at least some of the cycles in a plural-value actuation sequence to provide a field with different field strengths during a sequence of plural sensing intervals, and with a progressively varying field strength value during transition intervals between the sensing intervals.
A method of operating a location system including at least one transmitter and a plurality of sensing units, the method including the steps of cyclically actuating said transmitters so that during each cycle of actuation, each said transmitter is actuated in a preselected actuation sequence and operating said sensing units to detect characteristics of fields impinging thereon during said actuation sequences, at least one said transmitter being actuated during at least some cycles in a plural-value actuation sequence to provide a field with different field strengths during a sequence of plural sensing intervals and with a progressively varying strength during middle transition intervals between sensing intervals, said progressively varying strength being greater than zero at all times during each middle transition interval.
Location apparatus including:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.