89results about How to "Reduce X-ray exposure" patented technology

A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons. The magnetic tip performs two functions. First, it allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined by using a radar system such as, for example, a radar range finder or radar imaging system. Incorporating the radar system allows the CGCI apparatus to detect accurately the position, orientation and rotation of the surgical tool embedded in a patient during surgery. In one embodiment, the image generated by the radar is displayed with the operating room imagery equipment such as, for example, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, MRI, CAT-Scan, PET-Scan, etc. In one embodiment, the image is synchronized with the aid of fiduciary markers located by a 6-Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) sensor. The CGCI apparatus combined with the radar and the 6-DOF sensor allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A virtual representation of the magnetic tip serves as an operator control. This control possesses a one-to-one positional relationship with the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, this control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hands in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of this control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for CT data acquisition using a rotatable pre-subject filter having more than one filtering profile to control radiation exposure to a subject. The filter is caused to rotate by a motor and bearing assembly and has one profile used to filter radiation when the radiation source is positioned above a subject and another profile that is used to filter radiation when the radiation source is positioned at a side of the subject.

A novel coplanar X-ray guided method and device for insertion of distal locking screws in intramedullary bone nails. The device has coplanar holes, which allow insertion of protective sleeves. A drill and bone screws can be inserted through the protective sleeves. Radiopaque target markers in the aiming arm enable the easy positioning of an X-ray source such that an X-ray beam is coplanar with the aiming arm transverse holes. After the X-ray source is accurately oriented, a single X-ray snapshot is enough to assess the exact distortion of the implanted intramedullary nail. The X-ray beam need not be coaxial with the intramedullary nail holes. The aiming arm has a mobile portion and a fixed portion fastened to the nail, wherein said aiming arm can be adjusted, displacing the mobile portion over the fixed portion, to compensate for the distortion of the intramedullary nail after implantation. Once the aiming arm is precisely positioned, the aiming arm transverse holes and intramedullary nail holes are accurately aligned, protective sleeves are inserted through aiming arm holes, bone drills are drilled through the intramedullary nail holes and surrounding bone material, and bone screws are inserted, locking the intramedullary nail to the bone.

A system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed rapidly, accurately, simply, and intuitively is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons, in addition biopsy needles, endoscopy probes, and similar devices. The tip position and orientation information and the dynamic body part position information are also utilized to provide a display that allows three dimensional viewing of the magnetic tip position and orientation relative to the body part.

Catheterization device and method of using are provided for uniquely illuminating the distal end of the device in order to visualize the end-point location and orientation and to track the movement of the catheterization device within passageways in the body. Use of the present invention by tracking in real time with an imaging device sensitive to visible to near infrared light. The invention allows the insertion and tracking of substantially any catheterization type device, for substantially any procedure requiring vascular access, such as in the placement of a PICC line, for heart catheterization or angioplasty, or for urinary track catheterization, or other bodily access procedure. The invention permits a technician to determine placement, orientation and movement of the device noninvasive equipment, without subjecting the patient to the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, radio frequency energy or significant thermal energy.

DPC (differential phase contrast) images are acquired for each photon energy channel, which are called spectral DPC images. The final DPC image can be computed by summing up these spectral DPC images or just computed using certain ‘color’ representation algorithms to enhance desired features. In addition, with quasi-monochromatic x-ray source, the required radiation dose is substantially reduced, while the image quality of DPC images remains acceptable.