Fluoroscopy-free guidewire systems and methods

A guidewire system, comprising:

• a guidable device including an indicator clip having a plurality of fingers;
• a controller configured to close the plurality of fingers and to separate the indicator clip from the guidewire system;
• a guidewire attached to the guidable device, the guidewire including a guidewire shaft;
• a removable handle attached to the guidable device;
• electromagnetic coils positioned on the guidable device and spaced longitudinally on said guidewire shaft, said electromagnetic coils being adapted for generating a plurality of electromagnetic fields;
• a detection unit for generating location data indicative of a relative location of each of said electromagnetic coils;
• a data processing unit for transforming said location data into image data representing a configuration of said guidewire shaft;
• and
• a display unit for displaying an image representing said configuration of said guidewire shaft and an image of the guidable device so that the image of the guidable device is distinguishable from an image of guidewire shaft based on color difference.

An instrument comprising:

• a surgical instrument chosen from one of a dilator, a stent, a catheter, and a jejunostomy tube;
• a plurality of electromagnetic coils including a first set and a second set of electromagnetic coils included in the surgical instrument, each of said plurality of electromagnetic coils being adapted for generating a corresponding one of a plurality of electromagnetic fields, and
• said plurality of electromagnetic fields jointly defining a configuration of said surgical instrument, and
• said plurality of electromagnetic coils being separable from said surgical instrument by a controller.

A method for monitoring a configuration of a guidewire and a guidable device, comprising:

• generating electromagnetic fields from a plurality of electromagnetic coils spaced longitudinally along a shaft of the guidewire and from one or more of the electromagnetic coils positioned on the guidable device, wherein each of the electromagnetic coils is attached to a clip with a power source;
• electromagnetically detecting said electromagnetic fields from the shaft and from the guidable device;
• generating location data indicative of a relative location of each of said electromagnetic coils;
• transforming said location data into image data representing a configuration of said guidewire shaft and the guidable device;
• and
• via a display unit, displaying an image representing said configuration of said guidewire shaft and the guidable device so that the image of the guidable device is distinguishable from an image of the guidewire shaft;
• wherein the image of the guidewire shaft and the image of the guidable device are distinguishable based on whether a broken line versus a solid line is used on the guidewire shaft and the guidable device.

A surgical method comprising:

• electromagnetically monitoring a guidewire during insertion of the guidewire into a lumen of a body cavity of a patient;
• using the guidewire to guide a surgical device having an electromagnetic indicator coil;
• and
• electromagnetically monitoring the surgical device and the guidewire while guiding the surgical device,
• wherein electromagnetically monitoring includes producing electromagnetic fields within the patient with the guidewire including indicator coils positioned on the guidewire and the surgical device while displaying the guidewire and the surgical device to distinguish them by color, or by whether a broken line versus a solid line is used on the guidewire and the surgical device;
• and
• placing an indicator clip having a power source and marking a location in the lumen of a patient using a plurality of the indicator coils.