US 6,810,281 B2Granted

Medical mapping system

AssigneeendoVia Medical, Inc.

InventorsDavid L. Brock, Gary Rogers

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Apparatus and method for sensing at an anatomic body site and mapping or transforming the sensor signal into various forms of virtual image and feedback signals, having particular application in assisting surgeons and other operators during a medical procedure. In one embodiment, a medical system is provided that includes a medical implement, a manipulator controllable by an operator for control of the medical implement at an anatomic body site and a sensing device for sensing a non-visible field associated with a body structure at the site. A controller, intercoupling the sensing device and the manipulator, includes a mapping component for translating characteristics of the sensed field signal into a tactile feedback signal to the manipulator to warn the surgeon that he is approaching this structure with the implement. Alternatively or in addition, a virtual image of the body structure is displayed, separate or preferably together with a visual image of the site, to assist a surgeon in manipulating a medical implement.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A system for generating a display of a body structure and for providing haptic feedback to a medical practitioner, said system comprising:

a master station that includes a user interface;
a slave station that includes a medical implement;
a sensor on the medical implement positionable at an internal body site for sensing a non-visible field of a body structure at the site;
a measurement system responsive to said sensor for providing a sensor signal indicative of the field strength;
a controller intercoupling the master and slave stations and responsive to manipulations at the user interface by said medical practitioner to control said medical implement;
said controller transforming the sensor signal into virtual image data representative of the body structure;
a source of visual image data for the site;
and
a display system enabling combined display of the visual image data and the virtual image data for observation by the medical practitioner at the master station;
said controller transforming the sensor signal into a tactile feedback signal, said user interface receiving said feedback signal for providing a tactile response to the medical practitioner at the user interface.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/034,871Filed 21 Dec 2001 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Dec 2000
Published: US 2002/0087048 A129 Aug 2002
Granted: 26 Oct 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

A61B 5/0086
For introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters: using infrared radiation
A61B 5/24
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or…
A61B 5/415
Evaluating particular organs or parts of the immune or lymphatic systems: the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
A61B 5/416
Evaluating particular organs or parts of the immune or lymphatic systems: the spleen

Family

Application60/257,816Us provisional application · filed 21 Dec 2000
Application10/011,449Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Nov 2001
Application10/011,450Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Nov 2001
US 2002/0120188 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Aug 2002
US 2002/0087048 A1Published application
US 2002/0128662 A1Published application
US 6,810,281 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.