Patent ID: 9554765
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A non-invasive positioning tool configured for external placement on a surface of a patient's skin so as to aid in the positioning of at least one instrument at a subcutaneous treatment site visible via images acquired using a medical fluoroscopy imaging device, the positioning tool comprising: a penannular-shaped member having two edges, each edge defining an instrument positioning portion, at least one spacing member having a proximal end attached at the center of the penannular-shaped member and a distal end spaced from the proximal end and defining a length therebetween, wherein the combination of the penannular-shaped member and the at least one spacing member form an epsilon-shape positioning tool, at least one aligning portion attached at the distal end of the at least one spacing member and configured for aligning the positioning tool with a target on the treatment site visible via the images acquired using the medical fluoroscopy imaging device such that the positioning tool is configured for external placement on a surface of the patient's skin, wherein the at least one spacing member is radiopaque, wherein the radiopacity of the at least one spacing member varies along the length of the spacing member by having different metals with distinct radiopacities between them, wherein the cross-section of the spacing member is shaped to have a triangular void in the center of the spacing member along its length, and wherein the at least one spacing member comprises a plurality of notches having a predetermined spacing so as to provide visible incremental measurement information under the fluoroscopic imaging; wherein the at least one aligning portion being further visible via the images acquired using the medical fluoroscopy imaging device and spaced from the instrument positioning portions and; the instrument positioning portions being visible via the images acquired using the medical fluoroscopy imaging device for providing radiopaque indicator for positioning the at least one instrument at the target on the subcutaneous treatment site.