The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 27, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 21, 2009
Reuben Brewer, Millbrae, CA (US);
J. Kenneth Salisbury, Jr., Mountain View, CA (US);
Kevin E. Loewke, Menlo Park, CA (US);
David B Camarillo, Aptos, CA (US);
Reuben Brewer, Millbrae, CA (US);
J. Kenneth Salisbury, Jr., Mountain View, CA (US);
Kevin E. Loewke, Menlo Park, CA (US);
David B Camarillo, Aptos, CA (US);
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A magnetic force control system for guiding a medical instrument within a body includes: a controlled magnet coupled to the medical instrument; a controller magnet that exerts a magnetic force on the controlled magnet; a magnetically permeable shield, placed between the controlled magnet and the controller magnet, that selectively modulates the magnetic force by rerouting magnetic field lines; and a control system. A method for guiding a medical instrument within a body with magnetic force control includes: providing a controlled magnet coupled to the medical instrument, inserting the controlled magnet and medical instrument into the body, providing a controller magnet outside the body, placing a magnetically permeable shield between the controlled magnet and the controller magnet, applying magnetic force, and selectively modulating the magnetic force with the shield to vary at least one of amplitude and orientation of the magnetic force, thereby guiding the controlled magnet within the body.