Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/06—Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies ; Determining position of diagnostic devices within or on the body of the patient
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/06—Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies ; Determining position of diagnostic devices within or on the body of the patient
  • A61B5/061—Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body
  • A61B5/062—Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body using magnetic field
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
  • A61B90/39—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N5/00—Radiation therapy
  • A61N5/10—X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy
  • A61N5/1048—Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
  • A61N5/1049—Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
  • A61B90/39—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
  • A61B2090/3954—Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/45—For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth
  • A61B5/4504—Bones
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N5/00—Radiation therapy
  • A61N5/10—X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy
  • A61N5/1048—Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
  • A61N5/1049—Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
  • A61N2005/1051—Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam using an active marker

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the determination of the position of special points or areas on or in live creatures.
• live creatures relates to both humans and animals and they will in the following specification and claims, for simplicity reasons, jointly be called "patients”.
• treatment In medicine it is common to make diagnoses, perform other investigations and treat patients by means of external equipments such as x-ray apparatuses, radiation treatment apparatuses and other types of apparatuses. For simplicity reasons such external diagnosis, other investigation or treatment will in the following jointly be referred to as "treatment". In many cases it is necessary to be able to reproduce the position of the patient in relation to the external equipment as accurately as possible in all space dimensions from one treatment to another. This is in particular true when the treatment might cause damages on surrounding organs, tissue etc., like in, for example, the case with radiation treatment.
• the presently most common method for determining the position of a patient in relation to the external treatment-equipment from one treatment to another is to make markings on the skin of the patient, for example in the form of "crosses" or the like.
• This procedure is not very reliable since the skin moves in relation to the internal organs, tissues, etc. which are to be treated. There is, therefore, a great chance that the treatment, in particular if it is radiation treatment, damages healthy internal organs, tissues, etc. in the patient. There is therefore a great need of being able to accurately and in a reproducable manner be able to align a patient in relation to the external equipment from one treat ⁇ ment to another.
• US-A-5, 125,888 discloses a method for transporting, by means of an electromagnetic field, a drug with attached magnetic object to a desired location in the body, especially the brain, for administration of the drug to that spot, and retraction of the magnetic object.
• SU-A-1,338,154 discloses a method of matching the radiation parameters in proton therapy, wherin detectors interrupt the treatment if permitted radiation parameters are exceeded.
• FI,B, 79458 discloses a method and a device for eliminating errors which are caused by the patient's movements in a treatment situation, wherein a mark is made on the skin in the very treatment area. The momentaneous position of this mark is followed by continuously determining the position coordinates of the mark, and treatment is started when the position coordinates of the mark correspond to pre-determined comparison coordinates.
• WO, Al, 93/00039 discloses a device for detecting and localizing, by means of an electomagnetic field, a metallic object which has been penetrated or implanted into a human or animal body.
• Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing a patient having a magnetic implant and an external sensor
• Figure 2 is a schematic elevational view showing an example of external equipment for recordal and presentation of the position of the implant in the body.
• the reference numeral 1 shows a magnetic implant which e.g. may be an implanted permanent magnet. It is, however, within the scope of the invention possible to choose an arbitrary implant having the ability to produce, as such or in combination with any other material, produce detectable magnetic fields (including electromagnetic fields) and/or changes of magnetic fields, etc.
• the implant 1 is attached to a suitable body part 2 which, in contrast to the skin, has a comparatively constant position in the body.
• the body part is a bone in the body.
• Reference numeral 3 represents the skin of the patient. It is preferred to position the implant as close as possible to the respective area of treatment, but outside the same.
• the implant can also often be suitable to encapsulate the implant in a more tissue-friendly material.
• the implant is also preferably provided with devices and/or materials which are known per se and makes an accurate securing of the implant in bones possible, for example screws, plates, orthopedical supports and the like.
• the implant can be an "explant", i.e. be located in a corresponding position outside the body, preferably in the vicinity of, and positionally connected to, underneath parts, e.g. a bone.
• the schematically shown device 4 which is located outside the patient, represents one or more sensors detecting magnetic fields and/or changes of magnetic fields, e.g. from the implant 1 and/or another device cooperating therewith.
• the magnetic field can be generated in any manner which fulfil the indicated purpose, for example by means of permanent magnets, induction with in-operated spool and power source in or outside the body. It is also possible, by induction to build up a voltage in the implant which subsequently can provide a magnetic field through a spool. It is not necessary for the implant as such to generate a magnetic field, but it can be so designed that its magnetic properties will change the applied magnetic field (for example a steel plate), and this change will be detected by the sensor. Thus the implant as such does not have to provide a magnetic field but only provide a change of a magnetic field, applied from the outside. In this case the implant has magnetic properties which can be detected by the sensor. It is also possible to combine an outer magnetic field with a magnetic field which is generated by the implant in an optional manner.
• the implant does not have to be magnetic as such, but is capable of acting by induction, it will be possible to use e.g. magnetically insensitive spools of copper which do not interfere with investigations using magnetic resonanse tomography. Since the position of the sensor 4 is known, the position of the im- plant/explant 1 can be calculated in a simple manner. Since the position of the implant in the patient is known, as is also its relation to the target of the treatment such as a radiation target, it is also possible to determine the positions for the patient and the target of the treatment. The design of the sensors 4 can be varied as needed in the individual case, from a simple spool to more advanced elements which are sensitive to magnetic fields, e.g.
• FIG. 1 shows a sensor 4 built-up from 25 analogous Hall sensors which are arranged in 5 rows of 5 sensors each. By reading the signals from the sensors into a computer 6, using an analogue-to-digital converter 5, each sensor can be read rapidly.
• Each sensor provides a voltage which is proportional to the magnetic field in which it is located.
• the magnets which are located closer to the center of the magnetic field provide the maximum deflection. By using this device the center of the magnetic field can be determined accurately in two directions and the accuracy increases when using more devices.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Media Introduction/Drainage Providing Device (AREA)
• Magnetic Treatment Devices (AREA)
• Measurement Of Length, Angles, Or The Like Using Electric Or Magnetic Means (AREA)
• Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)
• Apparatus For Radiation Diagnosis (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20395339

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (26)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1994
  • 1994-09-22 SE SE9403193A patent/SE9403193L/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1995
  • 1995-09-22 JP JP8510822A patent/JPH10505776A/ja active Pending
  • 1995-09-22 EP EP95933014A patent/EP0955879A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-09-22 WO PCT/SE1995/001082 patent/WO1996008999A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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