Patent ID: 8320991
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A navigation system for use in an operating theatre to navigate a procedure relative to a patient, comprising: a coil array having at least three separate coils of conductive material operating with a selected transmission system that is operable to at least one of transmit a first field, receive a second field, or combinations thereof that is changed by at least one of a time differential, a time duplex, a frequency duplex, or combinations thereof; an instrument; a first tracking device associated with the instrument and operable with the coil array to at least one of transmit the second field to the array, receive the first field from the array, or combinations thereof; a coil array controller and navigation probe interface (CAC/NPI) system operable to control the at least three separate coils of the coil array and has a digital amplifier and a digital switch operable to switch a signal from the digital amplifier to each of the three separate coils according to the selected transmission type, and further has amplifiers, filters, and buffers to directly interface with the first tracking device; a single container enclosure that contains the coil array controller and navigation probe interface system; a display device configured with the single container to be included therewith; wherein the display is operable to display a tracked position of the instrument via the first tracking device transmitting location information via a transmission system to the coil array controller; wherein the digital switch is operable to switch a drive current from the digital amplifier to each of the at least three coils to determine a position of the first tracking device associated with the instrument; wherein the single container is configured to be carried by a single person and has a volume of about 32 cm