Patent ID: 6014580
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method of specifying a magnetic field to move or guide a magnetic delivery vehicle surgically implanted in a patient comprising the steps of:(a) displaying first and second fluoroscopic images of an operating region of a patient having a magnetic delivery vehicle implanted therein, the first and second fluorscopic images each representing a projection in space of the operating region;(b) for each of the first and second fluoroscopic images, moving a cursor from a projection of a present location of the magnetic delivery vehicle to a projection of a desired future location of the magnetic delivery vehicle, thereby indicating a target path associated with each of the first and second fluoroscopic images;(c) determining whether the target path associated with the first fluoroscopic image and the target path associated with the second fluoroscopic image project within a preselected error tolerance onto a single arrow in three dimensional space, and displaying a result of the determination;(d) calculating the currents in a plurality of magnets arrayed about the operating region needed to produce a magnetic field to move or guide movement of the magnetic delivery vehicle from the present location to the desired future location; and(e) applying the currents to the plurality of magnets.