Patent ID: 8688196

Claim:
An instrument arranged for introduction into the body of a patient to a desired situs in the patient in an image-guided procedure on the patient, the position of the instrument to be tracked with respect to the patient by an EMT system, said instrument comprising an EM assembly, a stylet assembly, and a releasable locking assembly, said stylet assembly comprising a first elongated tubular member, a first handle and a first connector, said first tubular member having a distal tip portion and a hollow isolated interior cavity terminating adjacent said distal tip portion, said EM assembly being a replaceable unit comprising an EM sensor, a second elongated tubular member, a second handle and a second connector, said second tubular member having a distal end portion and a hollow interior cavity terminating adjacent said distal end portion at which said EM sensor is located and a proximal end portion at which said second handle and said second connector are located, said EM sensor having an electrical cable connected to said EM sensor, said releasable locking assembly comprising said first connector and said second connector, said first and second connectors being arranged to be releasably connected together whereupon when so connected they are resistant to accidental disconnection, said second tubular member of said EM assembly being arranged to be slidably releasably located within said cavity of said first tubular member of said stylet assembly, whereupon when said EM sensor is located at a predetermined position in said cavity adjacent said distal tip portion of said first tubular member of said stylet assembly said EM sensor is isolated from the interior of the body of the patient at the desired situs with said electrical cable extending along the length of and out of said cavity, said EM assembly being arranged to be locked in place thereat by said first and second connectors of said releasable locking assembly releasably engaging each other, said first and second connectors of said releasable locking assembly being arranged to be released from each other to enable said EM assembly to be slidably removed as a unit from said cavity of said first tubular member of said stylet assembly for use in another tubular member having a distal tip portion and a hollow interior cavity terminating adjacent the distal tip portion by introducing said second tubular member with said EM sensor and said electrical cable of said stylet assembly directly within the hollow interior cavity of the other tubular member, whereupon said EM sensor is located at said predetermined position adjacent the distal tip of said other tubular member.