Impact Sports Technologies, Inc.

Cianna Medical, Inc.

Applied Nonlinear Sciences, LLC

Impact Sports Technology, Inc.

University of California

Healthwatch Ltd.

Impacts Sports Technologies, Inc.

Nikolai F Rulkov

Mark Hunt

Donald Brady

John E Greene

Sammy I Elhag

Steve Lui

Jonathan White

Lev S Tsimring

Donald Bady

Mikhail M Sushchik

Michael John Lopez

Don Brady

Henry D I Abarbanel

James U Lemke

Lawrence E Larson

Lev Korzinov

Robert Kenneth Hunt

Paul Henry Bryant

Alexander R Volkovskii

Henry Di Abarbanel

Mikhail I Rabinovich

Donald Bradu

Zach McKay

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for localization of a region within a patient's body using markers implanted within the region. In an exemplary embodiment, a probe includes a distal end for placement against a surface of the region; one or more antennas for transmitting electromagnetic signals into and receiving reflected signals from the region; a light source for delivering light pulses into the region whereupon the markers modulate reflected signals. A processor of the probe processes the modulated reflected signals at one or more of the surface locations to determine marker locations within the region to obtain a reference frame, determine distance values corresponding to distances from the respective markers to the distal end at each of the surface locations, and determine coordinates of the surface locations relative to the reference frame to generate a three dimensional model of the body region.

Systems and methods for imaging a body region using implanted markers

An impedance reflector apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for detecting a marker implanted within tissue that includes a switch for changing a configuration of an antenna of the marker. The apparatus includes a set of transmit electrodes coupled to a signal generator for transmitting a drive current into tissue to generate an electromagnetic field around the marker, a set of receive electrodes configured to detect voltage signals within the tissue corresponding to the electromagnetic field, and a light source for delivering light pulses into the body to open and close the switch to change the configuration of the antenna of the marker. A processor coupled to the receive electrodes processes the detected voltage signals to identify changes in the electromagnetic field that are synchronized with the light pulses to determine whether the marker is operating properly.

Impedance reflector detection systems and methods for using them

Systems and methods are provided for identifying and locating a plurality of reflector markers implanted within a target tissue region within a patient's body. A probe is provided that is activated to transmit electromagnetic signals into the patient's body, receive reflected signals from the patient's body, and in synchronization with transmitting the electromagnetic signals, deliver light pulses into the patient's body. The markers reflector tags modulate reflected signals from the respective markers based on orthogonal code sequences opening and closing respective switches of the markers to modulate the reflective properties of the markers. The probe processes the return signals to separate the reflected signals based at least in part on the code sequences to identify and locate each of the plurality of reflector tags substantially simultaneously.

Systems for identifying and locating reflectors using orthogonal sequences of reflector switching

Markers and related systems and methods are provided for localizing lesions within a patient's body, e.g., within a breast. The marker includes one or more photosensitive diodes for transforming light pulses striking the marker into electrical energy, one or more antennas, and a switch coupled to the photodiodes and antennas such that the light pulses cause the switch to open and close and modulate radar signals reflected by the marker back to a source of the signals. The antenna(s) may include one or more wire elements extending from a housing, one or more antenna elements printed on a substrate, or one or more chip antennas. Optionally, the marker may include a processor coupled to the photodiodes for identifying signals in the light pulses or one or more coatings or filters to allow selective activation of the marker.

Reflector markers and systems and methods for identifying and locating them

Markers, probes, and related systems and methods are provided for localizing locations within a patient's body, e.g., a lesion within a breast. The marker includes an energy converter e.g., one or more photodiodes, for transforming light energy striking the marker into electrical energy, a storage device coupled to the energy converter for storing the electrical energy, a threshold element that closes a switch when the electrical energy reaches a predetermined threshold to discharge the electrical energy and cause the antenna to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal. The system includes a probe that transmits light into the patient's body and a processor that correlate the frequency of the RF signals to a distance from the probe to the marker.

Implantable markers, and systems and methods for using them

Systems and methods are provided for identifying or locating a tag within a patient's body that include a probe that transmits synchronized electromagnetic signals, e.g., RF energy, and optical signals, e.g., infrared light pulses into the patient's body, whereupon the tag converts the optical signals into electrical energy to open and close a switch in the tag to modulate signals, e.g., backscatter signals, transmitted by the tag in response to the electromagnetic signals. For example, the tag may include photodiodes coupled to the switch that transforms the optical signals to alternately short the antenna to modulate the backscatter signals. Alternatively, the tag may include a smart circuit that harvests electrical energy from the optical signals to power the smart circuit and/or modulate the backscatter signals, e.g., to include data related to the tag and/or alternate the tag between an information mode and a distance mode.

RFID markers and systems and methods for identifying and locating them

Markers, microwave probes, and related systems and methods are provided for localizing lesions within a patient's body, e.g., within a breast. The marker includes an energy converter e.g., one or more photodiodes, for transforming energy pulses striking the marker into electrical energy, a switch, e.g., FET, coupled to the photodiodes such that light from a probe cause the switch to open and close. A pair of antenna wires are coupled to the switch to provide an antenna, the switch configured to open and close when light strikes the photodiodes to modulate signals from the probe reflected by the antenna back to the probe to identify the location of the marker. The marker also includes an electro static discharge (ESD) protection device coupled to the switch to provide protection against an electrostatic discharge event.

Passive tags, and systems and methods for using them

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Nikolai F Rulkov