Abstract:
A system for magnetically navigating a medical device in an operating region within the body of a patient. The system includes a magnet having a front field projecting from the front of the magnet sufficient to project a magnetic field into the operating region in the patient. The magnet is mounted for movement between a navigation position in which the magnet is located adjacent to the patient with the front of the magnetic generally facing the operating region, and an imaging position in which the magnet is spaced from the patient and the front generally faces away from the operating region.
Abstract:
A system for magnetically navigating a medical device in an operating region within the body of a patient. The system includes a magnet having a front field projecting from the front of the magnet sufficient to project a magnetic field into the operating region in the patient. The magnet is mounted for movement between a navigation position in which the magnet is located adjacent to the patient with the front of the magnetic generally facing the operating region, and an imaging position in which the magnet is spaced from the patient and the front generally faces away from the operating region.
Abstract:
A method for ablating tissue is provided that comprises navigating an electrophysiology catheter to the site of the ablation, applying an ablating electrode on the electrophysiology catheter to the tissue to be ablated, applying energy to the electrode to ablate the tissue adjacent the electrode, ultrasonically imaging the site of the ablation, and re-ablating the tissue if the ultrasound imaging does not show a satisfactory ablation. Another embodiment of a method for ablation is provided that comprises forming a line of ablation by applying energy to an electrode to ablate the tissue adjacent the electrode, and ultrasonically imaging the line of ablation to locate points on the line that do not show satisfactory ablation. For points of unsatisfactory ablation, the method provides for navigating an electrophysiology catheter to at least one point on the line that does not show satisfactory ablation, and ablating the tissue at the point.
Abstract:
Embolic devices and materials include an expansible polymer, and magnetically responsive material that allow the embolic devices and materials to be guided into, and held within, vascular defects, while the expansible polymer expands. In some embodiments, the expansion of the expansible polymer reduces the density of the magnetic material, so that subsequent magnetic surgery and magnetic imaging procedures can still employed.
Abstract:
A permanent magnet in which the magnetization direction varies with location to optimize or restrict a magnetic field property in a selected direction at a selected point. The magnetic field property may be, for example, the transverse magnetic field, axial magnetic field, axial gradient of the transverse magnetic field, transverse gradient of the transverse magnetic field, axis gradient of the axial magnetic field, transverse gradient of the axial magnetic field, the product of the transverse magnetic field and the transverse gradient of the transverse magnetic field, the product of the transverse magnetic field and the axial gradient of the transverse magnetic field, the product of the axial magnetic field and the transverse gradient of the axial magnetic field, or the product of the axial magnetic field and the axial gradient of the axial magnetic field. The magnet may be formed of one or more segments in which the magnetization direction varies smoothly and continuously, or the magnet may be formed of a plurality of segments in which the magnetization direction is constant. A method of making and using such magnets is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A system for imaging and magnetically navigating a medical device within an operating region in a subject's body is provided that comprises a first C-arm and a second C-arm. The system comprises an imaging beam source and an imaging beam receiver mounted on the first C-arm that are positioned to be disposed on opposite sides of the operating region to image the operating region. Some embodiments comprise a pair of magnetic pods, which are movably mounted on either the first or second C-arm. Some embodiments comprise magnetic pods that are movable between an imaging position and a navigating position in which the pods are disposed on opposite sides of the operating region in the same plane as at least one imaging beam source. The magnetic navigation units may apply a navigating magnetic field of at least 0.08 T in any direction to the operating region. In some embodiments of the invention, the second C-arm is movable between an imaging position in which the imaging beam source and imaging beam receiver on the second C-arm is positioned so that the imaging beam sources and receivers are in the same plane.
Abstract:
A method of turning a medical device, having a magnetically responsive element associated with its distal end, at an operating point within an operating region inside a patients body from an initial direction to a desired final direction, through the movement of at least one external source magnet. The at least one external source magnet is moved in such a way as to change the direction of the distal end of the magnetic medical device from the initial direction to the desired final direction without substantial deviation from the plane containing the initial direction and the desired final direction.
Abstract:
A method of turning a medical device, having a magnetically responsive element associated with its distal end, at an operating point within an operating region inside a patient's body from an initial direction to a desired final direction, through the movement of at least one external source magnet. The at least one external source magnet is moved in such a way as to change the direction of the distal end of the magnetic medical device from the initial direction to the desired final direction without substantial deviation from the plane containing the initial direction and the desired final direction.
Abstract:
A method of turning a medical device, having a magnetically responsive element associated with its distal end, at an operating point within an operating region inside a patient's body from an initial direction to a desired final direction, through the movement of at least one external source magnet. The at least one external source magnet is moved in such a way as to change the direction of the distal end of the magnetic medical device from the initial direction to the desired final direction without substantial deviation from the plane containing the initial direction and the desired final direction.
Abstract:
A system for magnetically navigating a medical device in an operating region within the body of a patient. The system includes a magnet having a front field projecting from the front of the magnet sufficient to project a magnetic field into the operating region in the patient. The magnet is mounted for movement between a navigation position in which the magnet is located adjacent to the patient with the front of the magnetic generally facing the operating region, and an imaging position in which the magnet is spaced from the patient and the front generally faces away from the operating region.